Sabrina, Author at The Beauty Look Book

Laura Mercier Flawless Lumiere Radiance Perfecting Foundation + Translucent Loose Glow Review

March 25, 2019

I’ve been working my way through some new foundation launches and today I have a review of the new Laura Mercier Flawless Lumiere Radiance Perfecting Foundation ($48 for 1 oz/30 ml) along with her Translucent Loose Setting Powder in Glow ($39 for 1 oz/29 g). The new foundation is probably my favorite that I’ve tested this year. Both the powder and foundation are crazy good for a flawless luminous finish and I find both are still suitable for normal/combination skin even with the luminous finish. The powder launched last year but I never did a dedicated review (you can see it on the face in this post with a full makeup look). Several of you have been asking for more swatches so I have it in today’s post for you!

To date my favorite Laura Mercier foundation has been her Flawless Fusion Ultra Longwear Foundation. Looking back at the archives I’ve been using this for almost 2 years now and it’s one of my favorites for humid Florida weather. It’s natural full coverage with a matte finish. Finding a good matte finish is hard for me because my skin tends to look better in something with a little glow. The Flawless Fusion is long wearing, matte but not flat, and the color range is pretty good. The new Flawless Lumiere Radiance Perfecting Foundation by comparison is a lot more luminous. Coverage is medium but buildable to full for me. It definitely has a more hydrating luminous feel to it but isn’t too dewy and has no greasy feeling. For me her Tinted Moisturizers simply don’t work well in Florida humidity (it’s too dewy and too luminous). The Flawless Lumiere has a natural finish with a lot more coverage compared to her Tinted Moisturizer.

Shade options come in C for cool, N for neutral or W for warm. I’m normally in the W range for yellow tones but some of the options are a little too yellow and I find N works best for me. On shade matching the Laura Mercier team sent me my normal shade Buff 3N1 and one lighter color Cashew 2N1 as press samples. One was too dark and one was too light so I went to the counter to shade match myself.

For shades across different formulas I found that the new Flawless Lumiere runs a bit darker than the Flawless Fusion. In the matte Flawless Fusion I wear Buff 3N1, but in the Flawless Lumiere I wear a lighter shade Latte 3N1.5 – by this naming convention it would seem like 1.5 should be darker than 1, but in both formulas if you swatch them side by side for some reason you’ll find 3N1.5 slightly lighter and more yellow/gold than 3N1. At the store I did a couple more side by side comparisons between formulas and it seems most of them run darker in the luminous formula but I’m not sure if this is the case across the entire shade range. I could have also gone with one of the W colors like 2W1.5 in Bisque, but it was just a tad too light.

Swatches of the Flawless Fusion Foundation, Flawless Lumiere and Flawless Concealer (all colors of concealer swatched here):

For application I find the Laura Mercier bases work best with her primers. In general I try to match the brands foundations with their primers because they’re often formulated to be compatible with each other. Laura Mercier has a wide range to suit different skin types. My favorites are her Radiance and Primer Protect with SPF 30.

They also sent their new Flawless Finish Sponge which I was really excited to try. It has a really nice bouncy squishy feel but I found the shape really awkward to work with. It has a shape designed to help you work with the contours of your face or get foundation into detail areas. No matter how I held it I found it hard to apply. I really hands down just prefer the classic beautyblender.

A look at her three of her loose powders. OG Laura Mercier fans will remember she used to have tinted loose powders I used to use Beige and her Stardust. She also had some lovely mineral loose shimmers which I was sad to see discontinued. I’ve loved her powders for years. Her Translucent Loose Setting Powder comes in two colors, clear and deep. I use the white/lighter option and it doesn’t leave a white cast. Last year she added two shades of Translucent Loose Setting Powder Glow in Translucent and Translucent Medium Deep. These can be used any way you want. I tried it all over as a setting powder and found it too glowy for all over the face or even under the eyes. As a highlighter it adds a luminous sheen much like a liquid luminizer but in powder form. The lighter option has a soft yellow gold champagne pearl and deeper is a soft bronze. I love both with the Glow Powder Brush.

You can set with a regular powder brush or puff. I have found myself reaching for her Powder Brush and Powder Puff frequently. I also love the Cle de Peau puff which I find slightly fluffier and softer in finish. For those curious about other setting powders I’ve done a few roundups of the best ones I’ve tested. My most recent Best Pressed and Loose Powder review is here.

Swatches, I also added her Face Illuminator to show how soft the shimmer is in the loose powder compared to her highlighters. With the Glow Powders there’s no flash back in flash photography, it gives the skin a soft glow.

Before and after application of Flawless Lumiere Foundation in Latte, set with her Translucent Loose Setting Powder, and full natural makeup look, wearing:

Base – Laura Mercier Radiance Primer
Foundation – Laura Mercier Flawless Lumiere Radiance Perfecting Foundation in Latte 3N1.5
Powder – Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder set with Cle de Peau Puff
Glow – Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder Glow
Bronzer – Laura Mercier Matte Radiance Bronzer Shade 02
Cheeks – Laura Mercier Cheek Color in Peach
Eyes – Laura Mercier Caviar Eye Sticks in Sand Glow, Copper and Burnished Bronze layered
Brows – By Terry Brow Mascara in #4
Liner – Urban Decay 24/7 Liner in Zero
Lips – Pat McGrath LUST Gloss in Belladonna + Laura Mercier Lip Glace in Sparkling mixed
Top – Nation LTD Dakota Tank

Overall a solid thumbs up for the new Laura Mercier Flawless Lumiere Radiance Perfecting Foundation. It’s a winner and I’m happy I was able to find a shade match. Lasting power is very good, I do need a touch up on warmer days mid-day, but it lasts long on my skin and I love how natural it looks. It gives that glow from within kind of finish and has good medium buildable coverage – enough to cancel redness and dark under eye circles on puffy eye days.

I have a few extras that I’m giving away! ONE winner will be picked within 48 hours and emailed to win: 1 Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder (winner can pick color), 1 Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder Glow, 1 Powder Puff, 1 Glow Powder Brush, 4 Caviar Eye Sticks in Copper, Rosegold, Beam and Rush. Open internationally to 18 years and older. Enter through the widget below. Giveaway will run through March 27th, 2019, 11:59 PM EST. Note the first option is MANDATORY to qualify for this giveaway (you must subscribe to my newsletter). Not sponsored or affiliated.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You can find the Laura Mercier Flawless Lumiere Radiance Perfecting Foundation out now. Available at Laura Mercier, Nordstrom, Sephora, Bloomingdale’s, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus and all other Laura Mercier counters.

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All Laura Mercier items featured are press samples except the foundation in Latte which was purchased by me.

74 Comments

Skincare

Testing the New Billie Starter Kit

March 21, 2019

For as long as I can remember my shaving routine has always been pretty minimalist and basic. I’ve always thought the options for men have been much more impressive than those for women. They have so many subscription services, new brands, creams and shaving kits to choose from where I feel like the options for me are so limited. When I had the opportunity to try Billie, a shaving subscription service just for women, I jumped at the chance to try it out!

They set me up with the Starter Kit which comes with a Billie Handle (comes in several super cute colors to pick from), two 5-blade razor cartridges, and a magnetic holder you can attach to your shower wall for storage. The kit runs at $9 and they’ll deliver replacement cartridges depending on how frequently you shave as often as you need them. I shave once per week so the system is setup to deliver 4 replacement cartridges every 3 months. Shipping is free for the starter kit and replacements too.

You can also add on a few extras like their Shave Cream or Body Lotion. I’ve put three Billie products to the test and here are my thoughts:

The Billie Razor gives a nice smooth close shave without any razor burn or bumps. There are five blades encased in aloe shave soap around the edges which when wet helps add a buffer to the skin for the shave. I’ve tried this on my legs and under arms and really like how it shaves.
The Billie Shave Cream is a thick creamy shave cream rather than a foaming shave cream. This has a nice smooth feel on the legs and leaves them feeling hydrated. (Full ingredient list is on their website.)
The Dry-Bye Body Lotion is my favorite thing out of all the items I tried. I’m so picky with body lotions formulas because I have sensitive skin and scents can often interfere with my perfume of the day. This one has a nice light citrus smell but the scent fades after a few minutes. It dries down to a nice velvety finish which is going to be perfect for me when the humidity rises here in South Florida.

Overall I’ve been really happy with my Billie Shaving Kit testing! The razor is something I will definitely keep using and if you’re looking for a matte finish or velvety finish lotion with a nice dry down the body lotion is definitely worth checking out! The price point is very good for the quality and design and I’m so excited to finally up my shaving game with this set.

What’s your shaving routine like? I’d love to hear about your favorites!

You can find the Billie Starter Kit at MyBillie.com.

Sponsored by Billie. As always all opinions my own.

59 Comments

By Terry Lips

By Terry Lip-Expert Shine Review + Swatches

March 19, 2019

By Terry launched 32 new shades for the lips in a Lip-Expert Shine and Lip-Expert Matte ($34 each for 3 g/ 4 ml). The color range for both formulas is perfect for the person who wants a classic no-fuss kind of lip. They give the most beautiful classic Parisian chic kind of vibe. I’ve been a long-time fan of her tinted lip balms but the only lip color product I’ve truly loved from her line is the Terrybly Velvet Rouge in Lady Bare. The new Lip Experts have completely won my heart. I have the review split into two parts since there are so many colors it’s taken me a while to test, swatch and edit the photos. Today’s review focuses on the Lip-Expert Shine.

These are liquid lip vinyls but act like a high pigment gloss. They’re packaged perfectly in a twist tube that has a little snap when you close it. Applicator is a sponge tip with a unique shape to help give you precise application.

Some of the colors are sheerer than others but in general they can cover the entire lip, have a soft glossy sheen, are not sticky and aren’t thick. They have a nice hydrating feel, just like a gloss. Finish is very comfortable with the prettiest soft sheen. Lasting power is pretty average – on me I thought they might fade/slide off easily because of how soft they felt. They do stay put as long as I don’t drink or snack, color fades on the lighter shades quicker within a few hours. Deeper bolder shades seem to last longer.

Four of the shades are available in both the Shine and Matte formula so you can alternate finishes in Vintage Nude, Rosy Kiss, Red Shot and My Red. I’ll swatch them side by side in my Matte feature, but for now here are swatches of all the Lip Expert Shine colors. All lip swatches done on bare lips. For skintone reference my skin tone is a Laura Mercier Flawless Finish Foundation in Buff, Laura Mercier Flawless Lumiere in Latte and NARS Radiant Finish Foundation in Punjab.

Shades 1 through 8:

1 Baby Beige – is a neutral cool beige
2 Vintage Nude – is a deeper medium brown beige
3 Rosy Kiss – is a perfect medium light rose pink cream
4 Hot Bare – is a medium rose brown
5 Chili Potion – is a chili brick orange
6 Fire Nude – is a soft red pink
7 Cherry Wine – is a deep wine cherry red
8 Juicy Fig – is a plum purple, this is one of the few that applied streaky

Below, shades 9 through 16:

9 Peachy Guilt – is a perfect peach
10 Bare Flirt – is the prettiest soft pink peach nude
11 Orchid Cream – is a cool-toned orchid pink
12 Gypsy Chic – is a hot deep pink
13 Pink Pong – is a bright pink
14 Coral Sorbet – is a bright coral
15 Red Shot – bold warm red
16 My Red – bold classic red (on me Red Shot and My Red pretty much look the same)

These are among the most lightweight soft glosses I’ve tried. There is a heavy lipstick kind of scent to them but it does start to fade after a few minutes. With the small precise applicator I do find I have to swipe back and forth and layer a bit to cover my entire lip, but it’s not something I mind. Alone these are perfect swipe and go kind of glosses. To extend the wear I’ve added a lip pencil underneath and then applied the gloss on top.

These have a soft finish so if you’re into the full coverage lip vinyls these might be too natural looking for your taste. I like that they’re natural but not too natural. Some of the lighter colors do seem to have a sheerer finish than the bolds but I can still get very good coverage where my lip is covered entirely.

I’m hard pressed to pick a favorite shade. Bare Flirt is easily one of my favorites because I love neutrals. I do love shades like Rosy Kiss because finding a neutral-cool pink rose that isn’t too blue is hard for me to find. Peachy Guilt is also fun, especially for summer and I think Hot Bare is such a nice neutral that isn’t nude.

You can find the By Terry Lip-Expert Shine out now. Review on the matte versions to follow as soon as I can swatch/edit all the colors. I’ve been testing them for weeks now and really like them for a comfortable lightweight matte.

By Terry Lip-Expert Shines available at By Terry, Bloomingdale’s, Dermstore, Saks Fifth Avenue, Barneys New York, Net-A-Porter, Nordstrom, Beautylish, Bluemercury and SpaceNK.

By Terry Lip Expert provided for review.

8 Comments

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.

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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).

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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.

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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.

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