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Urban Decay Cosmetics Favorites and My Top Picks for Neutral Makeup Lovers

October 1, 2014

Readers often ask me if I had to pick one high-quality eyeshadow palette, what would it be? Picking a good eyeshadow palette depends on a number of things such as what kind of look you want, your skin tone, hair color, eye color, shimmer vs matte preferences and lifestyle. For my neutral makeup loving self, I find my most-reached-for palettes are Urban Decay Naked2 or Naked3. They both have a really good mix of neutral shades with matte, shimmer and satiny finishes. I find them extremely versatile and for me they are my do-it-all kind of palette. You can create so many different looks for day and night. If you like more neutral cool tones, I recommend Naked2. If you want something warmer or more unique, I vote for Naked3. I love the soft romantic feminine tones and they are neutral enough so you don’t end up looking like you have pink-eye if you wear these.

 Naked vs Naked2 vs Naked3 swatched

For those who prefer matte-eyeshadow the new Naked2 Basics is a godsend. I’m not usually a fan of an all-matte eye look because matte shadows end up looking so flat on my skin and age my face. I will occasionally use one as a liner because I like a soft defined line along upper lashes. The Naked2 Basics has completely changed my outlook on matte shadows. It has a selection of medium taupe neutrals where every single one is wearable and layerable. I prefer it over the original Naked Basics which I found was too pale for my skin tone.

If you’re the type who prefers to pick out individual shades, Urban Decay has a wide selection of beautiful taupes and sandy shimmers in the single Eyeshadow format. My favorites include Chase (a soft metallic gold), Suspect (shimmering sand), Busted (dark plum taupe), Lost (shimmering brown) and YDK (metallic taupe). They are on the shimmery side but I don’t find them too frosty. The texture of the Urban Decay eyeshadows is amazing. They have this rich almost buttery feel that melds in with the skin. I don’t need an eyeshadow base with these and they last all day. I like mixing and layering these with the matte shades for added depth. There are also some matte options available individually.

Some other favorites from Urban Decay include their 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils. These have a super creamy texture and apply easily. I like these because they really do glide onto the eyes and don’t tug at all. They last pretty long on me with normal wear, although if it’s really hot and humid they will smudge a little by late evening. I like to use them along the upper lash lines as a base for deeper/smokey eyeshadows. I find they bring out the pigment shadows when they are layered over the liners. My top three picks are Zero (matte black), Underground (soft shimmery neutral taupe) and Rockstar (a deep eggplant).

I haven’t explored much in the lip arena from Urban Decay recently. Their lipsticks and glosses have been repeatedly revamped and repackaged. I purchased the Naked Ultra Nourishing Lip Glosses in Liar recently and really like it. There are 9 variations of nude in the lipgloss lineup, all of which looked really stunning but the sheer texture and finish make many of them look similar on my lips. I picked out Liar which is a gorgeous sheer cool mauve pink. It has a slight minty feel but doesn’t numb the lips. It’s a good everyday swipe and go color that adds just the right amount of shine. I like that it’s smooth and not sticky. It gives a super lush lip look.

Last but not least, I’m a huge fan of the Naked Skin Beauty Balms. I have the original one (which now comes in extended shades) and the Bronzing Beauty Balm. I like to use the Naked Skin Beauty Balm as a primer. I find when I use it over moisturizer and under foundation, it helps liquids blend better on the skin. The Bronzing Beauty Balm is something I like to use as a subtle contouring product or a base for powder blushes. It adds a bit of dewy texture and color to help powder sheer or light blushes go on better without looking heavy or changing colors. I also like using the Bronzing Balm mixed in with foundations if they are too light (I tend to tan easily) so it works wonders to adjust foundation colors for me.

Here’s a quick summary of my favorite Urban Decay items:

Urban Decay Cosmetics has just re-launched their line at Nordstrom. I remember back in the 90’s through the early 2000’s when Nordstrom had their modern/edgy beauty section with Urban Decay items when they had these out-of-this-world nail polish colors, iridescent blushes and scented shimmer body powder. I was sad when the line was pulled but I’m really happy that is is back now.

I hope this has been a helpful overview of some of my Urban Decay favorites. I’ve played with the line for over a decade now and I’m glad many of favorites are still in the line (like the Stray Dog, Sin and YDK eyeshadows). If you’re looking for an eyeshadow palette to start with, I do think the Naked Palettes are the best for the price, quality, ease of use and versatility. I consider all 3 of the Naked Palettes and the new Naked2 Basics must-haves in my makeup wardrobe.

Do you have any Urban Decay favorites? Everytime I check out the eyeshadows, I am amazed that I’m always discovering new shades.

Many thanks to Nordstrom for sponsoring this post. More information on my Disclosures page.

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Base Makeup NARS

NARS All Day Luminous Powder Foundation

September 29, 2014

The latest from NARS is the All Day Luminous Powder Foundation ($48 for 0.42 oz/12 g). It’s a super lightweight powder foundation that comes in 15 different shades. I was sent the shade Punjab (Medium 1) for review which is a good match for my medium with olive/golden tones. NARS also sent a press sample of the new Powder Foundation Sponge puff ($6.00) which can be used to roll or pat the product onto the face. For reference, I use the Radiant Cream Compact Foundation in Punjab (swatches here) and the Tinted Moisturizer in Groenland (swatched here). The Powder Foundation in Punjab seems to be slightly lighter than the Cream Compact version but it warms up on the skin to adjust nicely without oxidizing or darkening as the day goes on. The description from NARS:

NARS Cosmetics introduces All Day Luminous Powder Foundation. Silky and ultrafine to the touch, this medium buildable foundation offers versatile coverage and shine control with broad spectrum SPF 24 that lasts up to 12-hours. NARS exclusive Light Reflecting Complex™ optimizes light reflection to enhance skin’s translucency while Luminosity Enhancing Technology – a blend of 17 amino acids, Vitamin C derivative and Marine Fennel – promotes cell renewal and helps reduce the look of hyper-pigmentation and wrinkles.

The NARS powder foundation comes in a square mirrored compact. It has a compartment at the bottom for a square sponge. The sponge itself is interesting because it has two different textures, one is more fluffy and velvety like a puff, the other side is a spongey texture. I prefer the spongey side because it picks up more product and applies smoothly on the face. I tested the separate round puff as well and found it gave more coverage with a buffed-looking finish to the face.

I am extremely picky when it comes to powder foundation. Many end up looking heavy or cakey, emphasize pores or dry patches or even end up breaking me out. I have tested quite a few and my current top two picks include Dolce & Gabbana Powder Foundation in Warm 100 and Chanel Double Perfection Lumiere Powder Foundation in 20 or 30 Beige depending on how dark/tan I am. Although powder foundations are often designed to be worn alone instead of a liquid/cream foundation, I almost always use my powder foundations over liquids or tinted moisturizer as a setting powder. Both the Dolce & Gabbana and Chanel have this beautiful soft velvety finish that blends very nicely on the skin. They both cover imperfections, stay put, look natural and don’t darken. The NARS All Day Luminous Powder Foundation by comparison is quite a bit lighter in texture while still offering medium buildable coverage. I like that you can control the coverage easily.

A quick look at the packaging:

On the nails, Louboutin Miss Loubi

I tested the NARS several ways, alone and then also on top of different foundations. I also tested it with the sponge and also with a brush.

When used alone I found it performed really well with just moisturizer and primer. Right now, my current skin prep routine includes a layer of SK-II Cellumination Cream Illuminating Moisturizer or By Terry Cellularose Nutri Baume as moisturizer followed by a primer like the NARS Light Optimizing Primer. As a standalone foundation, I found it covered the skin nicely and evened out the complexion. There was no caking or seeping into pores. It is incredibly lightweight so you don’t feel like you have anything on your face. I found it amazing at how it gave my skin a luminous glow even though there is no hint of shimmer in the powder itself. I found it did last all day from around 7:30 am through 7:00 pm without any touchups required. I found it applied best with the square sponge that comes in the compact or with the round puff you can purchase separately.

Over foundation it looked equally nice. I tested it over the NARS Radiant Cream Compact, Tinted Moisturizer and also over Laura Mercier Smooth Finish Flawless Fluide. It applied smoothly with a fluffy brush over other foundations. With the sponge I found it was a bit too heavy-looking with the powder foundation + foundation combination. I do think your skin needs to be well-prepped and moisturized for smooth application, although I find this to be the case with any powder foundation in general.

Close up of the powder surface, it has a very soft silky texture:

Swatches:

Swatch comparisons:

After testing this for a few weeks I give this a huge thumbs up. There’s no detectable scent and it’s huge for me that I didn’t get any breakouts or irritation or clogged pores from using this (many powder foundations don’t work for my sensitive skin). Right now Punjab is the perfect match, it looks a bit peachy in the compact but it applies good on my olive skin. I like that it has enough yellow undertone so it doesn’t turn pinkish on me. If you have olive or golden skin tones you know the pain of finding awesome formulas that don’t match the skin color because they are too pink or warm. Bottom line it does last all day and it has a lovely soft luminous silky looking finish.

The NARS All Day Luminous Powder Foundation is currently available at NARS Boutiques, narscosmetics.com, Nordstrom and Sephora. The Powder Foundation retails for $48 and the round Powder Foundation Sponge retails separately for $6.

The powder foundation and puff was provided courtesy of NARS for review consideration. 
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Charlotte Tilbury

A First Look at Charlotte Tilbury Beauty | Eyeshadow Palettes, Colour Chameleon Pencils, Mascara and Eyelash Curler

September 23, 2014

I’ve been playing with Charlotte Tilbury Beauty over the past month and have some items to share with you today. Included in today’s feature is a review on two of her eyeshadow quads, two shadow pencils, mascara and eyelash curler.

What I ordered with swatches of the shadows:

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Colour Chameleon Color Morphing Eyeshadow Pencils in Champagne Diamonds and Amber Haze

I purchased two of the Eyeshadow Pencils in Amber Haze and Champagne Diamonds. These are creamy shadow pencils that set very quickly. I ordered mine sight unseen based on swatches I had seen on other blogs. They looked stunning online but I really should have read the reviews more closely. Amber Haze is a gorgeous warm shimmery copper brown. It applies very nicely on the eyes with super rich pigment. You do need to work with this one quickly because it sets (dries) very fast. When you apply these I recommend having all your brushes ready to blend right after you apply to smooth out harsh edges. Champagne Diamonds glitters like diamonds. This one didn’t work well for me, I found it too glittery and sparkly which made it extremely chunky/gritty feeling on my eyes. The base is pigmented if you pack the pencil on, but once blended it’s pretty sheer on me and all I saw was glitter.

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Eyeshadow Quads in The Rock Chick and Uptown Girl

I ordered my quads from pre-made look sets. The Rock Chick is a smokey eye palette with a soft shimmery pale grey, a satiny medium grey, a deep matte charcoal and a glittery silvery shade. When I first saw these online I thought the glitter might be problematic for me and for all of those who prefer more conservative shadows. I was really surprised to find the glittery shade in The Rock Chick subtle enough to wear layered over the darkest shade for a pop of sparkle. The pigment of all the shadows is incredible, I was able to apply on the eyes and blend easily without any eye base required. The darkest matte charcoal color has a really good texture and allows you to get a good smokey eye. I did get some fall out when I applied the glitter on the face, but after it was applied to the eyes it stayed put.

For reference, the Rock Chick swatched next to Tom Ford’s discontinued She Wolf:

Uptown Girl is a cool-toned palette with a soft champagne shimmer, a lavender blue shimmer, a medium plum and a sparkling glittery pale pink. When I saw this one I suspected it might be too lavender/purple for me, but still wanted to give it a try. It’s a lovely palette but way out of my comfort zone with the purple tones. I definitely recommend you research swatches online on other blogs, purples tend to pull really purple on my skin while on others it might not look quite as blueish. The glitter in this one was a bit too much for me to wear comfortably but I suspect it was just the overall undertone of this palette I found too cool in general.

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Full Fat Lashes Mascara and her Life Changing Lashes Eyelash Curler

Charlotte Tilbury’s Mascara currently comes in one shade. It’s called Full Fat Lashes Mascara. On my super straight short lashes this one defined nicely but unfortunately didn’t give much volume or hold curl. If you have thick lashes that only need a little bit of definition I think this will be a good one, but if you’re like me and need serious help with lashes, you might find this one too subtle. (My favorite mascaras here.)

Her eyelash curler comes in a rose gold color. I found it took a few uses to loosen the hinges (the first few times it seemed to stick when I pressed it together). It fits the curve of my eyes nicely so it doesn’t pinch the sides or edges. Her eyelash curler does indeed curl the lashes very nicely. I’m not sure I would call it life changing for me, I prefer Chanel’s and Le Metier de Beaute’s eyelash curlers for my eye shape and for better curling (see my reviews here). Still this is a very good lash curler. I took it with me on a recent weekend getaway and was really pleased with the way it worked.

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Overall thoughts: I’m overall pleased with what I’ve tested from Charlotte Tilbury’s beauty line. I ordered all of my items sight unseen which many of you know can be hit or miss. Her quads are definitely worth a look even if you’re not a fan of glitter shadows. Had I been able to look at her line in person I probably would have skipped Uptown Girl and opted for one of the matte quads or something with warm tones. I really like The Rock Chick for a classic smokey eyeshadow palette. You can layer the colors for more intensity or blend them for something more subtle.

For her shadow pencils, Amber Haze is absolutely gorgeous although you do need to work very quickly with it. Once it sets it stays put like nothing else I’ve tried. Champagne Diamonds was a complete miss for me, but this is because I’m super picky when it comes to glitter in eyeshadows.

I can’t call her mascara a must-have for me – it came in two of the sets I bought otherwise I wouldn’t have purchased it (I gifted my second one to someone else to try).

Her eyelash curler is a nice to have but not must-have for me. I do believe finding the right lash curler depends on the shape of your eye and how deep-set they are. This one has a nice curve and is wide enough so it doesn’t pinch the corners of your eyes. For me, I do have others that I prefer but the Charlotte Tilbury version is still good.

Have you checked out Charlotte Tilbury’s line? What are your favorites? Or any other thoughts on anything you’ve tried and tested? I don’t have easy access to see the items in person so I’m living vicariously through those who have tested and swatched it.

You can find the Charlotte Tilbury beauty line in the US online at Nordstrom, Net-a-Porter, Bergdorf Goodman and Beautylish.

46 Comments
Boutique California Hourglass Cosmetics Travel

Hourglass Cosmetics Flagship Store Opens on Abbot Kinney

September 21, 2014

On Thursday Hourglass Cosmetics hosted a special preview event to celebrate the opening of their Flagship Store on Abbot Kinney in Venice Beach. The unveiling of their first retail store marks the brand’s 10 year anniversary. Per Hourglass founder and CEO Carisa Janes, “it is a milestone occasion” where a”brick-and-mortar location is an opportunity to bring the brand to life with state-of-the-art design and exceptional service.”

I was thrilled to be able to attend the preview celebration and was thoroughly impressed with the sleek and modern design of the store. The store itself is 1400 square feet with an upper level for makeup application, lessons and private services. At the event they had several stations where you could get your lip makeup done by one of their artists. By the time I arrived I found the entire store was extremely busy and packed with makeup artists, editors, bloggers and other industry experts who were invited. I only stayed for a short time but saw some familiar faces and said hello to Beauty Professor and Beauty Frosting. Even though it was very crowded, I managed to weave my way through the store and snap a few detail shots. The store has an exquisite design that is beautiful. It is sleek, modern and inviting. I hope to be able to visit Venice Beach again in the upcoming month to experience the store in its entirety.

The store officially opens to the public on Septenber 22, 2014.

Among the items I was able to preview in the store include the line’s first skincare item, the Equilibrium Serum which will be exclusive to the boutique for a while (scheduled to launch soon). There was also an Ambient Lighting Bar which looked interesting and I need to find out more about. It’s designed to be a way for clients to customize their own palette with three shades of the Ambient Lighting Powder (review on Luminous Light and Radiant Light). I saw most of the product lineup displayed with the exception of the eye palettes/shadows but it could have possibly been something I simply missed due to the crowd. I was really hoping they would have the new Ambient Lighting Blush Palette available for preview at the store but it had not arrived yet.

As we left there was a small gift bag given away to each attendee, mine included one of the Ambient Lighting Powder Palettes. Since I already have one of the palettes, I’m giving my extra one away. You can enter via the Rafflecopter widget below (refer to the widget for terms and conditions). There are several ways to enter and I’m making this an international giveaway where 1 winner will be selected to receive 1 Ambient Lighting Palette (you must be 18 years or older).

A huge thanks to Hourglass for hosting such a lovely and well organized preview event for inviting me! I can’t wait until my next visit to the store to experience the entire line in person. The store officially opens to the public on September 22, 2014.

You can enter the giveaway below, there are multiple ways to enter, entries will be collected through the 25th of September and end at 11:45 PM PST. See terms in widget for more information.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

192 Comments
Diptyque Fragrance

Diptyque Essences Insensées Solid Perfume

September 12, 2014

Box by West Elm

Diptyque has a beautiful selection of new items for fall. I stopped by the boutique earlier this week and left with several items. The first I want to share with you is a new fragrance addition to their Collection 34 line inspired by the address of Diptyque’s first boutique. This fall they’ve introduced a beautiful soft mimosa scent called Essences Insensées which comes in a Solid Perfume ($60 for 3.6 g/0.13 oz) and a new special-edition bottle in the Eau de Parfum ($175 for 100 ml).

Both versions at the beautiful Diptyque store at South Coast Plaza:

I purchased the Solid Perfume option. I have a couple other of the Solid Perfumes in Eau Duelle and L’Ombre dans l’Eau. Both have lasted me quite a long time and I love the design of the compacts. They are easy to carry with you in a small clutch or makeup bag and perfect for touch ups. Also you don’t have to worry about any glass breaking.

Clutch by Whistles

The Essences Insensées is a lovely light weight floral. It has mimosa mixed with May rose and heliotrope. I’ve always been a huge fan of mimosa-scented candles but when it comes to fragrance you wear, I’ve had a difficult time finding one I could wear. Most mimosa scents are very lightweight and lovely but have a powdery touch making them smell like play do once spritzed on the skin (at least to me). What I love about the Essences Insensées is that it’s clearly mimosa but it has other scents mixed in so it doesn’t smell powdery. The solid version smells almost exactly like the spray.  The spray is stronger with a slightly more complex feel. As it dries down the fragrance reveals different layers of scent which I find both soothing and uplifting at the same time. 

The new 34 Essences Insensées has the same size and design of the other solid perfumes but comes in a lovely drawstring pouch and gold metallic case.

Fits into the palm of your hand:

And slips easily into a clutch, shown below:

Clutch by Whistles, Edward Bess Black Sea Cream Wave Lip Tints, L’Occitane Mini Hand Cream, NARS Belize Lipgloss, Chanel card case, Celine cuff and Louis Vuitton Key Ring

When I first smelled a sample of Jo Malone’s new Wood Sage and Sea Salt, I was convinced that would be my next fragrance purchase. I’m glad I waited to see the Diptyque releases in person because I prefer the Essences Insensées by far.

I compared the Essences Insensées to the Diptyque Mimosa candle. The fragrance is less powdery and more wearable. If you want a wearable version of the candle, the Essences Insensées is it.

Bottom line feminine and gorgeous. I’ve been wearing this almost all week long. It wears nicely by itself, but as with most Diptyque fragrances, it’s on the softer side and lasting power is medium. I find it layers nicely with the L’Ombre dans l’Eau.

I purchased mine from the Diptyque store. You can also find it now at Space NK, Neiman Marcus (has a gift with purchase while the beauty event is going on), Beautyhabit (also has a special gift offer with purchase, check their Gift With Purchase page) and Diptyqueparis.com.

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Christian Louboutin

Louboutin Rouge Nail Colour

September 11, 2014

I’ve been putting the Louboutin Rouge Nail Colour ($50 for 0.4 fl oz/13 ml) to the test for the past month on multiple occasions (tips and toes). The bottle is a remarkable work of art made with an extremely sturdy glass bottle and spike handle. My inbox was flooded months ago with e-mails about this polish from readers who had seen it in Europe before we received this in the US. I wasn’t going to purchase one due to the price, but there was so much excitement from some of my readers and after seeing swatches I caved and ordered one. The Louboutin Rouge has sold out multiple times in stores and online. Some of the sites have restocked while others have this on back order. My local stores did not receive any of the polishes so if you’re like me you might have to do a bit of research to track one down.

Louboutin Rouge is a deep rich red that matches the soles of the covetable Louboutin shoes exactly. I’ve found quite a few reds that come close or look pretty similar from arm’s length, but nothing I’ve tried matches it exactly. The formula is very fluid with super opaque coverage. You do need two coats though. With my first few tries I found the brush to be a bit challenging to work with. It’s a longer skinny brush which I found needed a bit of wiggling and angling to control. It is a softer brush which allows you to control it more. I’m used to the dense thick chiseled brushes that are goof-proof, so this one took a few tries but it does apply flawlessly on the nails. (I tend to be challenged when it comes to getting even application around the cuticles).

The bottles are very study and the design is amazing. The bottles have a unique multi-faceted shape. They stand up quite tall (approximately 8 inches tall). Each polish comes with the base encased in a box with a removable cap. There is a circular cut out on the top for the spike.

In terms of lasting power I’ve had phenomenal results. As mentioned in my hand and nail care essentials post, lasting power of a nail lacquer will depend on your nail care, length, daily or weekly activities. Shorter nails will have less contact with hard surfaces (such as keyboards if you type a lot). Also the angle in which you hold your fingers will also determine how much contact the tips have with any given surface.

(the second bottle is a gift I purchased for a friend)

In testing the Louboutin Rouge nail polish, I found without any base or top coat, the nail polish had significant tip wear and chipping on the third day. By itself I found the polish looked amazing but lasting power wasn’t so great by itself, however I do believe this is the case with most polishes I’ve tried. Louboutin does have a Manicure Care Kit with a base and top coat available but I haven’t tested it (not sure if I want to splurge on this). I tested the polish with a few other brands of base/top coat. I really liked it with the Creative Nail Design Sticky Base Coat and Formula X Top Coat. With this combination I was able to get 7 Days of polish wear, no chipping and tip wear didn’t start to appear very slightly until Day 6 on a few fingers.

Swatches with two coats of Louboutin Rouge and the Formula X Top Coat:

Christian Louboutin
book (one of my coffee table must-haves)

I tried to photograph some comparisons but I found the reds very difficult to capture accurately on camera. I have two very close dupes which have a slight difference in real life. I’ll add descriptions as a substitute to help you gauge the difference. I recommend googling reviews to see what others have compared as well.

  • Guerlain Rouge D’Enfer 121 is almost identical in undertone, intensity and pigment, the Guerlain has a more of an orange undertone though
  • Dior Captain is brighter with a jelly finish, it’s almost orange-looking next to all the other reds
  • Chanel Enthusiast (d/c) is 2-3 shades lighter and clearly more orange (although it looks close in the photo)
  • Rescue Beauty Lounge Gondoliere is brighter, more orange, more transparent
  • Chanel Pirate is deeper and has a lot more blue/cool tones
  • Chanel Rouge Rubis is pretty close but slightly lighter in color, the Chanel also has a sheerer finish
  • Chanel Dragon is darker and has more brown

One last photo:

Updated 9/14/2014: Ingredients from bottom of the box label

I’m really pleased with the quality, color and lasting power. I’ve accumulated several Louboutin nail polishes so far (Lady Twist swatched here, some nudes and pops coming soon) and the colors I’ve tested so far are really lovely. The pigment is excellent and smooth. Before I tried the Louboutin Rouge I was worried I wouldn’t like it, but so many of my readers put me at complete ease – I’ve received so many emails and comments from others who have splurged and absolutely adore theirs.

I didn’t want to spend $50 per bottle and I didn’t want to fall in love but I have. I don’t know that I can say these were worth every penny, these are more of a splurge than a necessity, even for the die-hard nail polish collector. The price is extremely high for a nail polish but it is something specially created by a luxury designer. These are a luxurious splurge, but I’m very pleased.

Due to the popularity of this color, you might need to wait a bit to find one since it has been selling very quickly. My local stores did not have this so I ordered online. It’s available at Christian Louboutin, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus and Sephora.

Did you purchase any of the Louboutin nail colors? Which ones?
25 Comments
Charlotte Tilbury

Charlotte Tilbury Neutral Nude/Pink Lip Picks | Nude Kate, Bitch Perfect, Blondie, Sweet Stiletto, Iconic Nude and Pink Venus

September 8, 2014

Today I’m sharing the lip items I ordered from Charlotte Tilbury. The items I have were from a few of her curated look sets The Rock Chick and Uptown Girl. All of her products are available individually as well so I’ve separated my reviews by catetory. First up is the lips which are all neutrals:

  • K.I.S.S.I.N.G. Lipstick in Bitch Perfect ($32) is a medium warm rose pink, this is a medium to full coverage lipstick without any shimmer. I found the texture to be on the semi-thick side, similar to that of Tom Ford Lipsticks, but slightly drier in finish. Bitch Perfect is a lovely flattering warm nude pink shade, I think it will look nice on a number of skin tones. This one seems to be Charlotte’s most popular shade. It sold out quickly with the initial launch and is on back order at several places.
  • K.I.S.S.I.N.G. Lipstick in Nude Kate ($32) is a flesh cream nude. I didn’t know what to expect with this shade since nudes can be hard for me to pull off. This one covers the lip almost entirely and has enough color so it doesn’t wash me out. The thick creamy texture + combination of my pigmented lips isn’t so great on its own and it tends to emphasize my lip lines. I need a balm underneath or a gloss on top to make this one look best on me. Still it’s a really easy to wear nude I think will work on most with light to medium skin (my lips are just weirdly pigmented).
  • Lip Lustre in Sweet Stiletto ($22) is a glossy cream pink. I find it matches the Bitch Perfect lipstick exactly (at least on me). It has good coverage with a slightly tacky finish, similar to that of MAC Lipglasses. The tacky finish makes these last quite long. I’ve found a little goes a long way which is nice since the tubes seem to be on the small side.
  • Lip Lustre in Blondie ($22) is a pale pink beige with silver shimmer. It’s what I wanted MAC Prrr Lipglass to be (which almost always looks white on my lips). This is such a gorgeous beige pink nude shimmer gloss. It’s my favorite out of the lip items I’ve tried.
  • Lip Cheat Lip Liner in Iconic Nude ($22) is a brown nude. It has a super creamy texture with full coverage pigment. I haven’t used a lipliner in ages, but I really like the way these really hug the lips. Due to the rich pigment I like to feather this one on lightly before applying gloss or lipstick. Right now I’m not really into the full lip look with liner+lipstick+gloss simply because I find it too heavy for this hot weather. If you watch any of Charlotte Tilbury’s video tutorials, you will probably find it amazing what a difference layering can make to create different looks.
  • Lip Cheat Lip Liner in Pink Venus ($22) is a rose pink lipliner. It’s a bit brighter than Sweet Stiletto and Bitch Perfect but pretty close in tone. This one is also rich in pigment. Unless you have soft well moisturized lips, I wouldn’t recommend applying this all over the lips since it will make them look overdone and dried out. This one is best when applied in a soft feathered motion to define the lips softly.

Swatches in full sunlight, no flash:

Another view:

Close ups and lip swatches of the lipstick/gloss:

(No lip swatches of the lipliners, but I hope the arm swatches above help)
Since all of these colors are classic neutrals, it’s likely these are very easily dupable. I do really like the color of Bitch Perfect and Blondie because the just work. There’s no fixing needed to make them work for me, meaning you don’t need to add any liner or gloss or color to make the color work for your skin tone (aside from prepping my lips with lip balm first).

I’m overall really happy with my lip picks. I could have skipped both of the lipliners, but have them because they were in the sets I bought. All the items have a soft vanilla scent similar in strength to MAC lipglasses and lipsticks. It’s a pleasant vanilla scent that isn’t too overpowering and isn’t too sweet. Lasting power on the lipstick and gloss are pretty good. As long as you don’t have dry flakey lips, these will look good as medium to full coverage lip items. Of course layering all three of the items together will give you a full coverage highly pigmented look. I didn’t find these drying or hydrating, they felt like normal lip products on my lips.

I bought mine sight unseen but based on online swatches it looks like Charlotte Tilbury has created a number of gorgeous nudes and pinks. I am waiting to see reviews and swatches before I purchase anything else. I would like to see everything in person, but the line isn’t scheduled to launch in stores until October.

Charlotte Tilbury has launched in the US at select retailers. You can find her line now at Nordstrom, Net-a-Porter, Bergdorf Goodman, Beautylish and Charlottetilbury.com.

Did you buy any of her lip product yet? What did you think? Any favorites?
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