Browsing Category

Brand

Bronzer + Blush Hourglass Cosmetics

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush

March 2, 2014

 

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blushes ($35 each for 0.15 oz/4.2 g) have arrived in stores in six stunning glowy shades. These are a hybrid highlighter/blush powder that have what Hourglass calls “Photoluminescent Technology“ which gives your blush depth and dimension giving a perfect glow. I’ve been a huge fan of the Ambient Lighting Powders (previous reviews here and here) so there was no question in my mind that I would fall in love with these new Blushes. If you look at the pans in person you may think some shades will be too light but the pigment of the color in these blushes is quite intense and swirling your brush into the color creates a mix of color and highlight to give you the perfect amount of color/glow. A little swipe will go a long way. The result: radiant natural finish with buildable color for an ethereal glow.
Hourglass sent me Diffused Heat for review and I purchased four shades in Radiant Magenta, Luminous Flush, Dim Infusion and Mood Exposure from Sephora. I tested each shade for 2-3 full days each which is why this has taken me so long to write this review. Lasting power of these blushes is particularly impressive, most of the colors lasted from morning to evening without fading. The only shade that seemed subtle and less dramatic was Dim Infusion which applies very very naturally on the cheeks. Much like the Ambient Lighting Powders, these blushes have a soft powder texture. It’s lightweight and easy to blend and layer. I’ve been applying these with either Chanel Blush Brush #4, MAC #129 or Tom Ford Cheek Blush brush, but really any blush brush will do. Two soft brush swipes is really all you need with these.

 

 

 

Radiant Magenta is one of the most pigmented and one of my favorites. It’s described as a golden fuchsia blush combined with Radiant Light for a summer glow. This is a beautiful glowy fresh pink. The golden bronze of Radiant Light mixed in creates a perfect pink that won’t darken or turn muddy on the skin. This one had the most impressive lasting power. The shimmer is very fine in this. It’s not frosty, just a perfect glow.

 

 

 

Luminous Flush is a champagne rose blush fused with Luminous Light (my holy grail highlighter) to evoke a candlelit glimmer. Since these are all hand-made, some will have more pink, others like mine will have more champagne color. I was worried this one would be too light but the pink is quite pigmented so it does show up on my face.

 

 

 

Dim Infusion is one of the lighter colors. It’s a subdued coral blush fused with Dim Light to add warmth. I found it showed up quite well on my skin, it gives a soft peach glow. Looks fairly light but I recommend you test in store if you can. I think it will show up on medium-tan skin, but may look nearly invisible on darker skintones. I’ve noticed from some comments that those with very fair skin found this did not show up on them. It might be one of those shades that shows up better if you’re skin does not match the Dim Light powder. If it does, this may just blend in with your skin and disappear. If you’ve tested this please share your thoughts in the comments.

 

 

 

Diffused Heat (press sample) is the color that surprised me the most. This is a vibrant poppy blush combined with Diffused Light for a subtle halo effect. Poppy colors can be hard for me to pull off for blush. They often look so gorgeous in the pan but then darken and look muddy-ish on my olive skin. In the pan Diffused Heat looks like it could be too orange or warm but the mix of colors turns a pretty coral pink and brightens the entire face. This is one of my top 2 picks. It is a color I think will be universally flattering.

 

 

 

Mood Exposure is another surprise. It looks like it might be a flat and boring neutral rose based on what you see in the compact. It’s a soft plum blush fused with Mood Light to brighten the complexion. The plum is almost bronzey on my skin and gives this wonderful rose-bronze-pink. It  looks different on everyone I’ve seen this on. For some it pulls more rose, for others like myself, it pulls more warm. I would describe it as unexpectedly gorgeous. I highly recommend this color as well. It is highly pigmented, I think this one will show up on everyone.

 

 

 

Swatches below, note these apply much better on the face than any arm or hand swatch can show:

 

 

 

 

Comparisons to corresponding Ambient Highlighting Powders. The blushes are smaller in size but have the same style packaging. Each compact is mirrored.

 

 

Click photo for better viewing:

 


Bottom line: Truly amazing. Everyone needs at least one. (Yes, everyone!) I normally blend blush with highlighters to create some kind of depth, these new Hourglass Ambient Lighting blushes save me the extra step. You can control the level of pigment or color depending how you apply these.Over a powdered face the effect will be softer. If you have dry skin or a well-powdered face you may find these won’t show up as well. I have normal skin and found these applied just fine over powder. If you need more color, I recommend using these over a slightly dewy face or cream highlighter (such as Armani Fluid Sheers, NARS Multiples or Edward Bess Afterglow Highlighters). A sheer cream base will help the pigment show up better if you’re on the dryer side without impacting the color too much. The pigment will be richer and more dramatic. I don’t have a preference for either application – both ways will give a lovely effect. (I didn’t test the lightest shade Ethereal Glow because I thought it would be too pale, but I may try it the next time I’m at Sephora.)

 

For reference I put together a collage on all the shades for you to see how each blush has a mix of each corresponding with a particular highlighter. Although I already own a number of the Hourglass Ambient Light highlighters, I do think these blushes are unique enough to justify owning.

 

 

My top three picks are Radiant Magenta, Mood Exposure and Diffused Heat.
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blushes retail for $35 each. These are free of parabens, talc, fragrance, nanoparticles and gluten. No Animal Testing. Available at Barneys New York, Net-A-Porter, Sephora, Space NK and Hourglasscosmetics.com.

 

45 Comments
Diptyque

Diptyque Rosa Mundi Candle and Eau Rose Hand Lotion

February 20, 2014

Diptyque has re-released their candle Rosa Mundi ($65, limited-edition) along with a new hand cream Eau Rose Hand Lotion ($28 for 50 ml/1.7 fl oz). Fun fact: Rosa Mundi was my very first Diptyque candle several years ago. I never finished burning it – for some reason it was stored in one of my cabinets hidden behind boxes. I burned it again this past month and the scent is the exact same as this year’s version although the glass is a bit different (brushed with the older release versus a gloss finish with this year’s) and the wax this year is pink (my original candle is white).
The Rosa Mundi candle is a lovely sweet rose scent. It’s has a strong and sweet mix of rose and honey with a slight hint of a powdery perfume-like scent compared to the regular Roses candle. It’s described as a  rose with a “soothing, sparkling scent that features notes of blackcurrant, lychee, damask rose, centifolia rose and honey.” It’s quite a mix of scents combined into one candle. I find this one to be quite feminine and girly.
Here is the original Rosa Mundi candle from several years ago. The Rosa Mundi released today smells exactly the same. The differences are in the floral design of the vase and the wax this year is pink. Many have asked for my thoughts on Rosa Mundi versus Roses. Rosa Mundi is stronger and sweeter with a more complex blend of scents while Roses is more of a pure rose floral scent. Both are really lovely. If you want something more neutral, go with Roses. If you don’t mind stronger girly scents you can’t go wrong with Rosa Mundi.
Eau Rose Hand Lotion is a beautifully packaged hand lotion. It comes in a small white squeeze tube with a beautiful floral design on the front. It seems a bit small for a $28 hand cream but the scent is really lovely, texture nicely moisturizing and it’s compact enough to fit into your purse. Similar to Rosa Mundi candle, the Eau Rose hand lotion has a mix of many different scents. It has bergamot, blackcurrant, musk, cedar and honey. It’s a lightweight liquid lotion that absorbs quickly into the skin and leaves the hands feeling fresh but well hydrated. It contains a blend of macadamia oil and aloe vera. The scent is quite strong for a lotion but not overpowering.
Compared to the Aerin Rose Hand and Body Cream (another favorite), the Diptyque is slightly sharper in scent. The bergamot, blackcurrant, and cedar give it an extra kick making it different from your traditional rose scent. Aerin’s Rose Hand and Body is thicker in texture but feels like it blends all over better for a body and hand cream. The Aerin cream has a softer sweeter candy-like scent compared to Diptyque. I can’t pick between the two – they are both amazing in their own unique way.

Overall both beautifully designed luxurious scented items that are well worth the splurge. I always thought I didn’t like rose scents – this was until I smelled Diptyque Roses which has opened my mind to not rule out roses as soon as I see the name or it listed in a description. Rosa Mundi and Eau Rose are beautiful additions that are strong florals but not so overpowered with powdery-ness like some rose scents are.

You can find the Diptyque Rosa Mundi and Eau Rose at all Diptyque locations now, although my local Nordstrom sold out of the hand lotion by the time I got to the counter (which was the week before Valentine’s Day). They kindly ordered it for me with free shipping – I bought four of the hand creams as gifts and everyone was smitten with the beautiful packaging.

Shop for these at online at Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Saks, Selfridges and DiptyqueParis.com.

8 Comments
By Terry Eye Makeup

By Terry Ombre Blackstar in Bronze Moon

January 18, 2014

I’ve always been fascinated by the By Terry line but it’s one of those brands I had never ventured into. I took my first baby step into the brand with the Baume de Rose which lives up to all the hype. During my last trip to Barneys New York in Beverly Hills last month, the product specialists showed me the Ombre Blackstar Color Fix Cream Shadows and the Brow Mascara (thoughts on this soon). I had about six different cream shadows swatched on my hand. I let the cream shadows sit on the back of my hands for about a minute. When I tried to remove, I found that none of them budged when I tried to wipe them off. The colors all applied very smoothly and blended easily upon first swipe before drying down to a budge-proof finish. I literally wanted to purchase one of each color limited myself to test one first. I picked a classic shimmering bronze: the Ombre Blackstar in Bronze Moon ($43 for 1.64 g/0.58 oz).

The Ombre Blackstar shadows contain an ultra-smoothing Tahitian black pearl extract which makes most of them brighten the lids with reflective shimmer particles. Bronze Moon is a neutral shimmery bronze. The texture is creamy and pigment is easy to control but you need to blend quickly after application. Once it sets and dries, it really does have a “tattoo-hold.” It feels natural on the lids after it dries, you can’t feel any pull or layers of product like with some cream shadows. On me it lasted from 5 am past 8 pm without budging, fading or smudging. Do note that I have normal to slightly dry lids. I rarely have issues with cream shadows being too moist. Most primers I try tend to be a bit too dry in texture when they dry down causing the skin to almost shrink and stretch. By Terry Bronze Moon is a really nice color on the lids. It’s one of those colors that works perfectly all by itself. No other highlighter, base, crease or liner needed for me. Just the shadow and one coat of mascara.

Swatched heavily and then blended out:

Comparisons to Chanel Illusion d’Ombre in Initiation (review here), Laura Mercier Caviar Stick in Cocoa, Urban Decay 24/7 Shadow Stick in Rehab, MUFE Aqua Shadow Stick 20E, Chanel Stylo Eyeshadow in Moon River and Bobbi Brown Cream Shadow in Bronze Sugar (swatched here).
Out of all of these, the By Terry Bronze Moon has the best staying power. On the lids its the most neutral in color, not quite as bronzey or silvery.

I’m really impressed with the staying powder, pigment and blendability of Bronze Moon. The lasting power is far better than most cream shadows I have tried before. The price is high though which has prevented me from wanting to look at them in the past. I will definitely be checking out the other colors my next trip to Barneys or SpaceNK, however it will be a while before I can bring myself to buy another one due to the high price tag. If you have any favorites from the By Terry line I’d love to hear about them!
By Terry Ombre Blackstar in Bronze Moon ($43) is permanent and is available at Barneys, SpaceNK, Beauty.com and Bloomingdales.
21 Comments
Hourglass Cosmetics

Hourglass Femme Nude Lip Stylo #5 and #6

January 15, 2014

Hourglass released their Femme Nude Lip Stylo in six shades of nude last fall ($30 each for 0.08 oz/2.4g). It took me a while to test in stores at Barneys and Sephora but when I did, I fell in love with all the shades but could only pull off the two darkest ones #5 a shimmering nude gold peach and #6 a mauve-toned nude pink. The concept behind the Femme Nude Lip Stylo pencils is that the best nude lip isn’t naked but rather enhanced. I agree since many of those perfect-looking nudes end up being too nude once applied on the lips. These pencils come in six full coverage shades to either create a dramatic nude or subtly defined nude. There is Vitamin E to help nourish and moisturize lips. I don’t see these pencils as moisturizing, however they do not dry out my lips. Paraben, phthalates, fragrance and sulfate free. No animal testing.
#5 is on top, #6 is on the bottom

#5 and #6 both look fairly similar when swatched on the hands. The difference is noticeable on the lips. #5 applies a nude peach with a slight hint of golden shimmer. #6 is clearly more mauve and pink but still very nude. I really like the packaging. These come in a sleek twist up tube with a removeable cap. Lasting power is quite impressive, I found them to last longer than normal lipsticks. The finish is not quite matte but almost. These have a satiny finish so there is just the slightest bit of shine but not much. If you’re a fan of nude lips definitely try one or two the next time you are at Barneys or Sephora.

Comparisons to NARS Isola Bella, NARS Bettina, NARS Biscayne Park and NARS Belle du Jour. I would say the texture of the Hourglass pencils is more like a full coverage creamy lipstick while the NARS pencils are more lightweight. Coverage is about the same.

The Non-Blonde has a lovely review of #6 which I highly recommend. You can find the Hourglass Femme Nudes at Barneys New York, Sephora, Space NK and Bergdorf Goodman in stores.
18 Comments
Diptyque

Diptyque Pine Bark, Orange Chai and Indian Incense | Holiday 2013

December 16, 2013

This holiday Diptyque has released three limited-edition scents in special packaging: Pine Bark, Orange Chai and Indian Incense. Each scent comes in two sizes which are slightly more expensive than the regular clear jars. The 2.4 oz/70 g candles are $32 each and the 6.5 oz/190 g candles are $68 each. The jars are made of colored glass – the larger sizes have a metallic sheen to the outside. The packaging is a work of art. The label designs and the boxes have intricate designs that are simply stunning. It’s taken me a while to burn each one long enough to do a review. I first purchased the small size of each scent since I was unsure of how I would like them. I went back after a few burns and purchased the regular size of Pine Bark and Orange Chai.
Indian Incense is described as featuring a “mysterious, dark, floral scent with notes of rose, carnation, incense and myrrh.” It’s one of the darker scents of the three but not too dark or heavy. The strength of this one is very good. I purchased the smaller size and the scent filled the entire room within a few minutes. It’s a spicy floral but not too incense-y which is right inline with my fragrance preferences.
Orange Chai was the one I was most excited about. It’s exactly like orange scented tea. Think the cinnamon teas, but orange scented instead. This one is described as a “mellow blend of orange, quince and a mix of Indian spices.” It has an almost creamy finish to it. I’ve never smelled anything like it. It’s a very unique scent. The strength of this one is also quite strong. I like it but can only take this one in small doses. It can be a bit sweet-smelling.
Pine Bark surprised me. I’ve never been a huge fan of pine scents but this has completely changed my outlook on green scents. For those familiar with Jo Malone’s Pine and Eucalyptus, the Diptyque is similar but a little less sharp. The Jo Malone is slightly more smoky smelling. Both are equally amazing. The Diptyque Pine Bark is described as “a clean, woody, smoky fragrance that combines notes of pine and cedar with hinoki, a Japanese cypress.” I will need to buy a few extras to stock up throughout the year. This one is by far my favorite.

Regular 6.5 oz Pine Bark vs. 1.2 oz Feu de Bois from the 10 piece set (review here)
Out of the three, I would say Pine Bark is the only one I would pick if I had to pick just one. The holiday packaging is absolutely gorgeous. Have you tried any of the Diptyque holiday candles yet? Do you have any other favorite seasonal candles that are new this year?
Pine Bark, Orange Chai and Indian Incense are all limited-edition. Priced from $32 to $68 depending on size. For size reference comparisons, see this post. I purchased all of mine from Nordstrom.
13 Comments
Eye Makeup Urban Decay

Urban Decay Naked3 Palette

December 11, 2013

Urban Decay’s latest addition to the Naked family is the Naked3 Palette ($52 for 12 shades, 1.3g each). The theme of Naked3 is rose-gold. It’s a warmer palette compared to Naked and Naked2, but still neutral. I’m a huge fan of the other versions. Urban Decay makes amazing shadows with impressive pigment and wear. Naked3 comes with a double-sided brush and a sample packet of their primers. The brush is very well made however I prefer softer hair brushes for powder shadows (versus synthetic material) mainly because it’s what I’m used to.

The colors in the palette vary from matte to shimmer to sparkle and tiny micro-glitters. I’m on the conservative side when it comes to glitters and find each and every shade in this palette wearable and suitable for everyday. The pigment on all the shades is really incredible. The only color I had issues with is the Blackheart which applied a bit chalky alone but works well when applied over a creamy liner with a tiny detail brush. There was no fallout with any of the glittery colors. Most of the shades in this palette appear to be new colors:
  • Strange is a soft matte ivory pink
  • Dust is a glittery light pink
  • Burnout is a warmer pink shimmer
  • Limit is a matte mauve-pink
  • Buzz is a pink mauve shimmer
  • Trick is a coppery pink glitter
  • Nooner is a matte mauve
  • Liar is a warm taupe
  • Factory is a darker brownish taupe shimmer
  • Mugshot is a neutral taupe shimmer
  • Darkside is a satiny purple brown
  • Blackheart is a dark black with red shimmer
Close ups plus swatches:

After my Instagram picture a few weeks ago many emailed me asking for comparisons to Naked and Naked2. I do think Naked3 is different enough to justify owning if you have either of the other two. Naked3 is the warmest and pinkest of the three options but has the most universally flattering colors. Here are the palettes photographed and swatched:

Swatches:

I really love the Naked3 palette. The color options are simply stunning and combinations endless. It’s priced well for the size and quality. The packaging is well designed and sturdy. I think it’s a definite must-have and will make an amazing holiday gift for beauty lovers.

Naked3 was a quick sellout online at a many locations but keep checking back – they are restocking frequently. You can find it online at Macy’s, Sephora, and Urban Decay.
25 Comments