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Natasha Denona Haul Review

April 27, 2020

I have a roundup of some Natasha Denona haul picks I’ve acquired recently! Most were purchased by me with a couple items sent in PR. We have swatches plus thoughts covering these items in today’s review:

Mini Glam Eyeshadow Palette

The Mini Glam Eyeshadow Palette was launched earlier this year and it’s a super cute mix of neutrals. For those who can’t do the warm eye trend, this has a really nice mix of colors including a shimmery soft bronze, matte camel, shimmery olive/taupe, matte brown and glistening neutral-warm champagne gold. The colors are easy to wear and layer for an everyday look. If you pack on more of the matte brown you can get a more smokey effect. Lasting power and pigment is excellent.

Look wearing:

Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Foundation in Dusk
Pat McGrath Skin Fetish Concealer in LM14
Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Powder in Medium
Charlotte Tilbury Cheek to Chic Blush in First Love
Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz in Caramel
Natasha Denona Mini Glam Palette all shades
Urban Decay 24/7 Liner in Zero
It Cosmetics Lash Blow Out Mascara
Marc Jacobs Poutliner in Nudist
Natasha Denona Lip Oh Phoria on top in Nude
Top by Everlane

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Mini Retro Eyeshadow Palette

The Mini Retro Eyeshadow Palette is a unique mix of green, olive and pinks. I looked at the @natashadenona Stories Highlights and tried to copy her tutorials with this one. They’re super helpful and easy to follow! I tried to recreate the one with just the pink shades and the olive matte as a liner.

Colors in the palette are a glittery pink/violet/blue top coat, shimmery olive silver blue mix, matte olive, matte warm pink, shimmery light pink. I really love the color mix here!

Look below wearing same base product as the above look. Cheek is the Mini Bloom Blush. Lips are NARS Chelsea Girls + Natasha Denona Lip Oh Phoria Glaze in Duo Chrome Coral.

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Mini Bloom Blush

The Mini Bloom Blush is mini but mighty. It’s super pigmented and glowy pink coral with loads of shimmer but you can blend/sheer it out. Even just a little dab of the brush picks up a lot of pigment. If you want something a little less intense but similar in color the NARS Orgasm X Blush is very similar in my opinion. I did swatch comparisons below to other Natasha Denona blushes and shades from a few palettes I thought were similar. The swatches below will show that the new Mini Bloom Blush is the brightest and most pigmented:

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Love Glow Cheek Palette

This Love Glow Cheek Palette is the first cheek palette I’m not crazy about from Natasha’s line. I really loved the Tan Bronze and Glow and Bloom Blush and Glow SO much, I was excited about this one that launched around Valentine’s Day. Pigment, blendability and texture are excellent with this one. The only reason I don’t like it is I find it too dramatic and intense with the glitter. It photographs BEAUTIFULLY but in real life it has that blinding highlight and glitter. Your mileage may vary depending on your makeup look preference.

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Lip Oh Phoria Lip Gloss

Last but not least are three of her Lip Oh Phoria glosses. These are hybrid balm/glosses with a high shine. To me they’re not super hydrating like I’d expect from a balm, but they are definitely not drying. I love mixing and layering these over lipstick or liner. The Nude is a pale milky nude with a tiny bit of shimmer. Mauve is a cool toned nude mauve pink. Duo Chrome Coral is a high shine coral loaded with gold reflective shimmer. I find they last longer than the average gloss on my lips and I just dab a little and blend with my fingers.

You can see Nude and the Coral on my lips if you scroll up earlier in the post.

Swatches below: Nude, Mauve and Duo Chrome Coral

Overall some lovely launches from Natasha Denona. I really love how she creates unique products and colors. I always look forward to what she’s coming out with next and I love her tutorials on her Instagram page! I really love the new mini eyeshadow palettes as I think the colors are unique. The mini bloom blush is quite intense so I don’t think it will be for everyone. Lip glosses are really lovely but only if you can wear lighter shades and mix them.

I hauled my items from Sephora although some things might temporarily be sold out from the sale. I’m hoping they will restock!

Natasha Denona Love Glow Cheek Palette and Lip Oh Phoria provided for review. Other items purchased by me.

I’m hosting another giveaway today! I have an extra Love Glow Cheek Palette because I bought one as well. ONE follower will be selected to win the Love Glow Cheek Palette and the Love Glow Eyeshadow Palette. To enter for a chance to win simply complete at least one of the steps in the widget below. The more steps you complete the more entries you get. Not sponsored or affiliated. Because of shipping restrictions these days this one is going to be US only (18 years or older). Giveaway runs through 5/5/2020 11:45 PM EST. I’ll pick a winner and e-mail them within 48 hours after the giveaway. Prizes usually ship within one week.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Armani Base Makeup

Armani Luminous Silk Foundation, Hydrating Primer + Concealer Review

April 23, 2020

One of my favorite tried and true foundation formulas is the Armani Luminous Silk Foundation. It’s one of the best formulas for that natural flawless glow and one I’ve repurchased many times over. I’m so excited to partner with Sephora to give you a closer look two new additions to the Luminous Silk lineup. This year marks the 20th anniversary for the foundation and they’ve added their new Luminous Silk Concealer and Luminous Silk Hydrating Primer. You can find all three available now at Sephora, just in time for the Spring Savings Event (use code SPRINGSAVE):

Rouge members save 20% off 4/17 to 5/1
VIB members save 15% off 4/21 to 4/29
Insiders save 10% off 4/23 to 4/27

Luminous Silk Hydrating Primer

The Luminous Silk Hydrating Primer is an ultra smooth silky primer. It has a soft peach pink tint but blends into a transparent finish on the skin. A little goes a long way and it glides on easily. Although the foundation is so good I can often wear it on its own, I do find the primer noticeably grips the foundation for smoother longer wear. It’s hydrating but lightweight.

Best Naturally Glowy Base: Luminous Silk Foundation

I’ve featured the Luminous Silk Foundation here countless times – it’s one I wear on a weekly basis for that natural radiant glow. It’s a great everyday foundation with medium buildable coverage. I love that it comes with a pump dispenser and it’s easy to blend with fingers, a brush or a sponge. I alternate between shades 6.5 and 7 depending on how tan I am. They’ve recently added 10 new shades for different undertones and the color range now includes 40 colors. I like this formula because it looks like my skin but better. It evens out the skin, leaves a smooth finish, doesn’t crease or transfer, looks natural. Even in humid warm weather it lasts long on me when set with a powder.

Luminous Silk Concealer

As a lover of the Armani bases, I was really excited to try the new Luminous Silk Concealer. I found 6.5 to be the best match for my needs. It’s a multi-purpose concealer with caffeine to reduce puffiness around the eyes. You can use it for brightening or spot concealing. It’s quite opaque but very easy to blend with fingers or a sponge. It has medium to full coverage with a natural dewy finish and satiny dry down. I would recommend going with the same shade of concealer as your foundation.

I love how long the formula lasts on my skin. I do set with a loose or pressed powder to keep everything in place. (I really love the Neo Nude Powder.) I hope you found this Luminous Silk review helpful! I highly recommend the foundation for any skin type. It works for a wide range of climate conditions as well for me and I’ve worn it for years.

You can shop my Armani favorites from Sephora below. Have you tried the Armani Luminous Silk or any of the other foundation formulas? What did you think?

Many thanks to Sephora for partnering to sponsor this post. As always all opinions are my own.

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By Terry

By Terry Summer Collection 2020

April 15, 2020

I’m so excited to share a look at the By Terry Summer Collection today! I received a few pieces as press samples and immediately ordered the remaining items online to try everything. If you like glowing luminous makeup, I think you’ll love what she launched for summer. There are a few skincare items as well that are part of the new product lineup which I haven’t tried yet but am dying to. Today’s post focuses on the makeup launches.

Brightening CC Palette in Sunny Flash* ($65)
Ombre Blackstar* ($38) in three new shades Immaculate Light, Rose Elixir and Sunny Flash
Brightening CC Blush in Rosy Flash ($39)
Tea to Tan Face and Body Bronzer ($88 for the set, $22 for the travel size)

Brightening CC Palette in Sunny Flash

The Brightening CC Palette is a truly stunning glow palette with 2 highlighters, one luminous blush and a bronzer shimmer. The colors in the palette have a soft blendable texture. Everything is luminous and glowy but in a smooth non-frosty way. I do think the shades are different than the previously launched Brightening CC Powders, although they have some similarities. Palette colors are not labeled on the compact but according to the website, the shades include:

No 1 Champagne Blush a soft beige yellow shimmer (this is a tad more yellow than the Brightening CC Powder in Apricot Flash
No 2 Pink Petal is a soft glistening pink with tiny super fine micro sparkles (this one one warmer and deeper than Brightening CC Powder Rose Elixir)
No 3 Vibrant rose is a perfect fresh rose pink shimmer
No 4 Desert Sparkle is a soft golden bronze shimmer (more shimmery and slightly more golden than Brightening CC Powder Sunny Flash)

I would describe this as a softer variation of my beloved Becca Chrissy Teigen Palette (now discontinued). The By Terry Brightening CC Palette is versatile in the sense you can wear it on its own if you want an all over glow. Or you can layer onto your regular blush/bronzer for just a subtle highlight.

Beauty breakdown below wearing:

Foundation is Armani Luminous Silk 6.5
Concealer is the Armani Luminous Silk Concealer 6.5 (review soon!)
Powder is Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless in Medium
Eyeshadows are By Terry Ombre Blackstar in Immaculate Light and Sunny Flash
Eyeliner is Chanel Stylo Yeux in Noir Intense
Mascara is Gucci Mascara L’Obscur
Brows are Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz in Caramel
Cheeks are all 4 shades in Brightening CC Palette
Lip Color is Sisley Phyto Lip Twist in #11 Litchi

Brightening CC Blush in Rosy Flash

The Brightening CC Blush in Rosy Flash is a new formula in the By Terry lineup. It has a similar concept to the Brightening CC Serums in the sense that it has the same Optical Glow technology they use in their formulas. The Brightening CC Blush is essentially a sheer luminous liquid blush. It’s very natural on my medium skin. I can layer for more color, but blending it out gives a barely there glow. One pump is more than enough to apply to the cheeks. I find that if I could truly measure it, I’d probably say I only need 1/2 a pump to apply the product.

Living in humid Florida I don’t know how this will last once we are back in the outdoors on a regular basis. It doesn’t really have a powder dry down. It remains slightly dewy but not too dewy.

Straight out of the pump vs blended:

Below same base/eye makeup as the above photo. Cheeks just have the Rosy Flash Brightening CC Blush. Lips are the Sisley Phyto Lip Twist in #2 Baby.

Ombre Blackstar

The Ombre Blackstars are among my favorite cream shadow sticks. There isn’t anything on the market quite like the ones from By Terry. They have the most beautiful pearl quality with high shine and gorgeous pigment. There are three new shades listed as limited-editions but I hope they consider adding them to the permanent lineup because I LIVE FOR these kinds of colors!

Immaculate Light is the perfect champagne shimmer with a tiny hint of peach
Rose Elixir is a light cool-toned pale rose shimmer
Sunny Flash is the perfect golden bronze

If you can wear shimmer on your eyes I think these are hands down must-haves. They have an emollient blendable texture long enough to blend or layer on the lids. Once they set they are pretty much budge-proof.

Swatches to other colors:

Tea to Tan Face and Body

Last but not least is By Terry’s cult classic Tea to Tan Face and Body Spray. It’s now available in a duo set and travel size. I don’t typically use self-tanners on the face because I have sensitive skin and feel I can only tolerate some on the body. Also many have a slightly thick feeling or leave a film on the skin which I don’t like. This is the first one I’ve tried that I really like.

There is a very fine gold shimmer in the bottle which mixes into the liquid when you shake it up. The full size comes with a spritzer while the travel size does not. For the full size I spritzed product on a brush and then applied to areas I want more color.

Once it’s on the skin I am pleased to report I didn’t experience any color transfer to the clothes. It stays put pretty well. It has a lovely summery scent I can’t put my finger on. It almost smells like gardenia and tiare maybe?

Overall I think the collection offers some really lovely products to brighten one’s look and certainly one’s mood these days. While you might find similar options in your current stash, I do think the CC Palette is really lovely and one I’ll be reaching for frequently this upcoming season. I can’t get enough of the new Ombre Blackstar colors, hoping they’ll be permanent because they’re truly lovely!

You can find the By Terry Summer 2020 Collection available now online at By Terry. I ordered a few things from their website and shipping was relatively fast. They also have some nice deluxe samples with purchase (there are different options depending on how much you spend). A few items have started to appear online at Beautylish and Space NK.

The By Terry Brightening CC Palette and Ombre Blackstar Eyeshadows were provided for review. Other items purchased by me.

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Chanel

Chanel Les Beiges Summer of Glow 2020

April 13, 2020

Chanel launched their 2020 Les Beiges Collection and I finally have swatches of everything I hauled today! A few of their classics have been reformulated and repackaged in this collection. The entire vibe of this year’s Les Beiges is true their classic line but with a slight summery twist. If you like a natural glow there are some nice options in this collection. I ordered everything except one of the polishes (which I skipped):

Sheer Healthy Glow Highlighting Fluid ($48 each) in Sunkissed and Pearly Glow
Healthy Glow Illuminating Powder ($62 each) in Sand and Sunset
Healthy Glow Bronzing Cream ($50) in Soleil Tan Bronze Universel
Healthy Glow Lip Balm ($25) in Warm (new color)
Healthy Glow Natural Eyeshadow Palette ($65) in Warm (new color)
Le Vernis ($28) in Cruise

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Healthy Glow Bronzing Cream

The cult classic Soleil Tan de Chanel Bronzing Cream has been discontinued and replaced with the new Les Beiges Healthy Glow Bronzing Cream. The question you all want answered is: are they the same or is it completely different? I’ve seen a few other reviews on the new version. Some say it’s performs the same, others say it does not. The ingredients are different but performance and color-wise I feel they are the same. On my skin there’s no detectable difference in color. Texture is the same – creamy, soft, easy to blend, has a semi-matte dry down. It is on the warm side. I really hope they add some other shades in the future like a cooler tone bronze or perhaps ones with shimmer! For those who did not know, Chanel started adding ingredients to their product pages. Simply scroll down to the area you see tabs like, Description, Ingredients, Reviews, Q&A etc. They have their current ingredient list there! This one right now has:

Bottom line, if you have the original (which I still have and find it lasts a LONG time) I don’t think you need the new one. For cream bronzer application, you can use a number of different brushes in your collection. I alternate between the Chanel Angled Foundation Brush (older version, FYI it looks like all the brushes have been revamped slightly on their website), Fenty Brush 115, Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Complexion Brush or the Hourglass Vanish Foundation Brush. The best budget-friendly one I’ve tried is the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush 200 (reviewed here).

If you find the Chanel color too warm you might want to check out the Milk Makeup Matte Bronzer Stick in Baked (it’s cooler toned and slightly darker).

Original Soleil Tan de Chanel vs New Les Beiges Healthy Glow Bronzing Cream 390

On the face, beauty breakdown:

Foundation is Chanel Ultra Le Teint Velvet in B40 (review here)
Concealer is Kosas Revealer Concealer in 5.0 (review soon)
Powder is the Bite Beauty Changemaker Flexible Powder in M2 (review here)
Bronzer is the Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Bronzing Cream in Soleil Tan Bronze Universel 390
Eyeshadow is the Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Natural Eyeshadow Palette in Warm
Brows is Anastasia Brow Wiz in Caramel
Mascara is the Chanel Le Volume de Chanel Stretch (review here)
Lips is the Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Lip Balm in Warm
Top is the Everlane Pima Micro Rib Scoop

Quick note this is meant to be a face swatch, with normal wear I would blend out the bronzer more like a traditional bronzer/contour product to warm up the face.

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Sheer Healthy Glow Highlighting Fluid

There are two Les Beiges Sheer Healthy Glow Highlighting Fluids similar to the older Soleil Tan de Chanel Sheer Illuminating Fluid. The product has been repackaged with a pump + cap similar to that of the Le Blanc Rosy Light Drops. There are 2 shades in Pearly Glow and Sunkissed, both are sheer as the product name implies.

Pearly Glow is a new color that is a sheer champagne gold and Sunkissed is similar the original which is a sheer soft beige tan shimmer. Both have a very lightweight fluid texture that is thin and easy to blend/layer. On my skin they apply very sheer. Out of all the liquid highlighters I own these are among the most natural looking and on my medium tan skin from a distance they look very similar when on the face.

Below left wearing Pearly Glow over the Soleil Tan Bronze Universel Cream Bronzer. On the right wearing Sunkissed on top of the cream bronzer. Foundation shade right now is the Chanel Ultra Le Teint Velvet in B40 (I wear B50 in the summer). I pump 1-2 pumps of the highlighter on the back of my hand and dab in my fingers to apply or use a foundation brush. I used the Tom Ford Foundation brush here. You can definitely mix it in with foundation to add glow to your base.

I think these are nice if you want a subtle highlight on the cheekbone. Once they’re blended on the skin they sheer out quite a bit! If you want more shimmer or pigment, opt for any of the others I swatched below.

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Healthy Glow Illuminating Powder

Above Sand and Sunset

The new Les Beiges Healthy Glow Illuminating Powders are soft luminous powders that offer the skin a very subtle glow but with color. Sand is a highlighter on me. When applied with a loose brush I can apply all over kinda like a setting powder with glow. With a denser brush it adds a very subtle lit from within glow. Below worn on just one side so you can see the difference. Wearing Sand below:

Sunset is a warmer bronze color that looks like a soft warm bronzer with a hint of gold shimmer. This one is really nice to warm up the complexion.

Both have the same scent as all the other Les Beiges powders. They have a beautiful embossed rope pattern on the surface adding a lovely touch! Texture is soft and easy to blend. Long-time Chanel lovers will know that the 2019 Les Beiges powders from last year were stiff in texture (which I did not mind but many of you did not like). The 2020 versions have a softer texture making it easier to pick up product.

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Healthy Glow Lip Balm

There is one new shade of Les Beiges Healthy Glow Lip Balm this season in Warm. It’s a sheer warm peachy coral shade. Looks bright in the tube, swatches sheer on the hand, applies somewhere in between on the lips. Warm is a nice healthy summer color. I was hoping for a softer cantaloupe peach to be launched, maybe next year!

Swatches next to the other existing colors. If you want the lip swatches, you can check out my posts from past years. Light/Med/Deep on the lips/face in the 2018 Les Beiges review. Intense worn in the 2019 Les Beiges review.

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Healthy Glow Natural Eyeshadow Palette

I have mixed feelings about the Les Beiges Healthy Glow Natural Eyeshadow Palette in Warm. This palette has a very soft texture. Powders are very finely milled and soft with a delicate finish. When layered together on an emollient base the colors show up nicely. I do have to apply the brown with a slightly damp brush for it to show up on my skin. Applying the colors on dry lids made them all look like a sheer wash of peach. I do realize the Les Beiges collection is supposed to give a barely there glow, but the palette runs a bit sheer.

It’s workable and I do think it is lovely, I think colors will show up better on lighter or deeper skin with the contrast. The first two times I applied this I felt a slightly itchy sensation from the powders. I feel that the powdery debris and kick up fell into my eyes and caused some irritation. Luckily I did not have an allergic reaction! Adding an emollient cream shadow base underneath helps keep them in place on the skin better (at least for me, I have dry lids).

Colors include a sheer satiny beige, soft blurred brown, shimmery coral peach, soft lighter peach shimmer and a sparkly champagne.

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Le Vernis

Last is the Le Vernis in Cruise. There are two shades which seemed like your standard orange and red polishes. Pretty, not entirely unique, and in my mind not must-haves. I decided to pick up the orange one Cruise which is almost identical to the older discontinued Mirabella. The difference is slight and barely noticeable. Mirabella has a tiny bit more blue undertone. Cruise is a cream. It’s bright orange and I can get full coverage with 2 coats. I have a feeling Cruise is close to Orange Fizz but I searched all of my boxes and it appears I no longer have it to compare. To date I still think Chanel’s best orangey shades were Holiday, Sea Whip and Resplendissant.

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Overall a lovely collection adding some sunshine and beauty into my life right now! I think there are a lot of natural glow products that are easy to wear and perfect for the conservative makeup-lover. That being said I do think there is a lot of summer beauty newness on the horizon so you might want to wait and see what launches from other lines.

The best products to me are the Healthy Glow Illuminating Powders and Highlighting Fluids. I think they’re nice additions to my daily makeup routine. I do think the Highlighting Fluids might not be for everyone since they are very sheer. I do love the new Les Beiges Healthy Glow Bronzing Cream – to me it’s nearly identical to the original in color and performance. Since I already own the original and still have a lot left I don’t think it’s a must-have for me.

If I were to do my purchase over again I would have skipped the nail polish. Also while I love both of the highlighting fluids, I don’t think I needed both since they look similar on my medium skin. I would have picked just one although trying to figure out which one is better is difficult as they’re both lovely.

You can find the Chanel Les Beiges collection available now at Chanel.com. Have you checked it out yet or ordered anything? What did you think?

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Laura Mercier Roundup

Best of Laura Mercier

April 6, 2020

Today I’m doing a best of roundup of one of my favorite makeup brands Laura Mercier. I have swatches of the new Caviar Stick Eye Colors and thought it might be a good time to do an updated round up of my favorite everyday makeup staples from the line. I get asked for my everyday makeup staples quite frequently and I’ve done several with a mix of brands. Some of you have asked for round ups by brand so I’ve decided to start with Laura Mercier. I’ve used them for years and even through numerous reformulations and revamps still find I use something from the brand almost daily.

If you like classic easy to wear looks and are in search of makeup staples I’m rounding up my favorites today.

Foundation Primers

I have a love/hate relationship with most primers. In my opinion there’s no one-primer-fits all formula. While I do find many will smooth and prep skin and also extend the wear I think finding a good primer depends on your skin type and also what foundation formulas you wear. As a good starting point, I’d recommend sticking with the same brand of primer and foundation as they usually make formulas that are compatible with their entire brand. For example I do think if you use an oil-free primer it might not be compatible with an oil-based foundation. If you find your foundation is separating on your skin I’d suggest looking at the ingredients and taking a look at what moisturizer or primer you are using underneath.

All that said, I put all of the new Pure Canvas Primers from Laura Mercier to the test. Since I use the Flawless Fusion or Flawess Lumiere Radiance formulas most frequently, I felt the new primers would all be compatible. Out of all the new ones my top three are the Protecting SPF 30, Illuminating (when I want more glow) and the Perfecting. All three will smooth the skin to give you better foundation application and help extend the wear. I don’t use them everyday as I think the foundations I have are quite good with lasting power and application, but I do think these are nice ones to try. They’re unscented and silicone-free for those looking for options suitable for sensitive skin.

Foundation and Concealer

I’ve written about the Laura Mercier Foundations countless times. Brands often reformulate and revamp and I have been really happy with all of the bases I’ve tried from the brand. My top 4 favorites:

Tinted Moisturizer (review here) is my favorite natural glowy tinted base that gives a nice polished look, I wear Sand 3N1 right now.
Flawless Fusion Ultra Longwear Foundation is my holy grail long-wear foundation, it’s the best one that holds up in Florida heat and humidity, doesn’t irritate my skin and gives full but natural looking coverage, I wear Buff 3N1 most of the year.
Flawless Lumiere Radiance Perfecting Foundation (review here) is the best glow foundation tied with the Armani Luminous Silk, the Flawless Lumiere gives medium coverage and adds a nice glow without looking too dewy. I wear Latte or Buff in this formula.
Flawless Fusion Ultra Longwear Concealer is also in my top 3 for concealers (swatches here) I alternate between 2N, 3N, 2W and 3W depending on time of year (as I tan easily), most of the time I wear the 3N or 3W which is good for highlighting, brightening the under eye or spot concealing.

Setting Powders

I use the classic Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Powder on a regular basis with their Powder Puff or a Powder Brush. I also really like their Loose Glow Powders which I use more as a highlighter (lighter shade) or bronzer (for the deep color). The classic Translucent Loose doesn’t add any color and is compatible with all of the foundations I use regardless of brand/formula. Even though it’s white it doesn’t add any white cast to my skin. If you’re a long-time Laura Mercier fan you might remember she used to have tinted versions of the matte loose powder, I really wish they would bring those back!

Eyeshadows

For eyeshadows my absolute favorites are her Caviar Stick Eye Colors. I use Rosegold and Copper religiously for an all over wash or as a base for powder shadows. Rosegold is the best neutral shimmer – it looks good alone or with other shades. For her cream shadows I find they are creamy and easy to blend. Pigment ranges from sheer to full depending on how much you layer or blend (with fingers or a brush). Once they set they stay put on my eyes but they remain creamy long enough to work with.

She launched 12 new shades recently, I swatched and played with 10 of them (the ones I thought I would actually wear). They run warm and on the pink side. The fuchsia colors or pinks aren’t really my vibe but I swatched them anyways. I was able to wear Raspberry and Magenta when layered/mixed with other shades though. My favorite of the new ones are the pinks in Sunrise and Nude Rose.

I swatched 10 of the 12 new colors (there are 2 blue shades I didn’t swatch), new ones include:

Pearl is a pale cool white shimmer
Sunbeam is a pale yellow shimmer
Golden is a yellow gold shimmer
Sunrise is a satiny soft warm light pink with a slight sheen
Nude Rose is a shimmery rose pink
Sienna is a shimmery orange
Raspberry is a shimmery mauve rose
Burgundy is a slightly deeper plum shimmer
Magenta is a hot pink shimmer
Violet is a shimmery violet

I wear Rosegold, Copper and Sandglow the most frequently. In pulling the products for my roundup it occurred to me that it has been a while since I swatched the colors I have. These are the shimmer colors. There are also matte options but I find they pull a little dry on me. Colors swatched: Beam, Sugar Frost, Rosegold, Magnetic Pink, Moonlight, Grey Pearl, Intense Moonlight, Metallic Taupe, Sandglow and Copper.

Purples and deeper shades: Rush, Orchid, Intense Amethyst, Violet, Burgundy, Amethyst, Burnished Bronze, Plum, Cocoa and Smoke. I use the last 3 colors swatched as liner, I’ll apply them onto a detail brush and then smoke or smudge them along my lash line.

Highlighters

The world has gone highlighter crazy and the trend doesn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon. Even with all the new launches I think the Laura Mercier Face Illuminator remains a good everyday staple. Indiscretion is the best neutral champagne in my opinion. It has enough warmth to not look overly frosty or pale on my skin. I ordered the two newest ones with the floral pattern from Nordstrom and think they’re beautiful!

Affection (new) is a light pale champagne shimmer, it has a good amount of shimmer in it but is smooth
Sensation (new) is a shimmery copper, on me it pulls more like a shimmery blush/bronzer but isn’t too orange
Devotion is a pale pink shimmer
Addiction is a pale yellow gold shimmer
Indiscretion is the best neutral champagne highlighter
Inspiration is a lovely pink mauve frost (detailed review + look here)

Color: Blush, Lipstick + Gloss

For color all the Laura Mercier products have gone through a reformulation at some point. I like what I’ve seen so far! The Blush Color Infusion in Fresco is a perfect everyday neutral blush. It has a tiny bit of shimmer so it’s not flat. I like that it adds a bit of warmth and color without darkening or oxidizing like a lot of nude blushes can do. For the lips the Rouge Essential Silky Creme Lipsticks are the best no-fuss classic lip formula. They’re creamy with full coverage but feel weightless. There’s a bit of shine in the finish which gives them a more natural lush look. I love all the neutrals but find Brun Pale and Nu Prefere are my kind of everyday nudes. I’ve used the Lip Glace since my high school days long before the repackaging and reformulation. I actually really liked the original perfume scent these had back in the day. Right now they’re vanilla scented and have a slightly sticky feel but it’s not too thick. Opal is my favorite for layering on practically everything.

A couple close ups wearing:

Laura Mercier Perfecting Primer + Flawless Fusion Foundation in 3N1 Buff
Laura Mercier Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder in the classic finish
Matte Radiance Bronzer in 03
Laura Mercier Blush Color Infusion in Fresco
Laura Mercier Face Illuminator in Affection
Laura Mercier Caviar Stick Eye Color in Sunrise, Nude Rose and Raspberry
L’Oreal Lash Paradise Mascara Waterproof
Laura Mercier Rouge Essentiel in Brun Pale + Nu Prefere layered
Laura Mercier Lip Glace in Opal on top
Anastasia Brow Wiz in Soft Brunette
Everlane Waffle Tee

That wraps up my favorites from Laura Mercier! I hope you found the favorites helpful. If you want any other brands featured in a Top 10 or Best Of post let me know in the comments.

You can find Laura Mercier available online at Laura Mercier, Nordstrom, Sephora, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus and all other Laura Mercier retailers.

Most Laura Mercier products featured are press samples. Items purchased by me include the Face Illuminators in Indiscretion (repurchase), Affection, Sensation, Lip Glace in Opal, Tinted Moisturizer in Sand 3N1.

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Dior Lips

Dior Addict Stellar Gloss + Stellar Halo Shine Lipsticks

March 31, 2020

The latest from Dior Beauty is the new Dior Addict Stellar Gloss ($30 each) + Stellar Halo Shine Lipsticks ($38 each). I hauled several colors in the new formulas and have swatches for you today! Most of the colors are available at all retailers like Nordstrom, Sephora etc. There are a few shades I was only able to find on Dior.com. Color options may vary by country as well.

Dior Addict Stellar Gloss

I bought eight of the Dior Addict Stellar Lip Glosses sight unseen. I’ve been buying the lip glosses from the line for as long as I can remember and by this point I’ve lost count of how many times they’ve reformulated them. This variation comes with a large sponge tip applicator. They also have a sweet vanilla scent this round which I don’t remember them having. The Dior Addict Stellar Gloss has a high shine finish with a balm-like feel. They are smooth and non-sticky but semi-thick because of the balmy feel. Lasting power is better than average. They stay put on the lips for several hours but aren’t going to be super long lasting.

Finishes range from creams, shimmers to high shimmers to a few sparkles. I’d say pigment varies by color as well. The deeper brighter shades have better color payoff. A lot of the nudes I got look similar in the tubes. You can see the variation once you swatch them on the hand. However on my pigmented lips many of them look the same.

Colors I hauled:

Diorsolight is a pale milky beige pink cream
D-Way is a milky beige with tiny silver and beige shimmers
J’Adior is a perfect beige peach nude cream
Mirrored is a shimmery reflective nude
D-Light is a smooth shimmer beige with pinkish/silver sheen
Diorama is a smooth soft muted plum with silver shimmers
Stellar is a clear base loaded with lilac glitter (still applies smooth and there’s no texture even with the sparkles)
Everdior is a gorgeous shimmery coral with gold shimmers

Dior Stellar Halo Shine Lipsticks

I was really excited about the new Dior Stellar Halo Shine Lipsticks because of the shimmery stars in the center of each color! Some have a gold star, others have a pink star. The lipsticks themselves are more of a satin with a soft sheen but the star center adds either gold micro glitters or pink micro sparkles. On the lips they are shimmery but aren’t too frosty.

Pigment-wise the deeper colors have better color payoff. These have a lot of slip to them because of the shine. To me they have a similar feel to the YSL Rouge Volupte Shines or Chanel Rouge Coco Flash. The Dior Stellar Halo Shine Lipsticks also have a sweet vanilla cake kind of scent. Since there is a lot of shine and gloss to them, they almost feel like they’ll slide off the lips without a liner or primer. To me they feel more like tinted balms rather than a lipstick, but it’s pleasant and lovely to wear.

Colors I hauled below. As always please note because I have a natural pigmented lip base, the nudes will most likely look different on you as my natural lip shows through:

Cherish Star is a nude pink in the tube, but on my lips it’s almost a pale sheer pink
Treasure Star looks like a taupe shimmer in the tube, on my lips it’s a nude pink shimmer
Peace Star is a coral peach shimmer, on my lips and complexion it pulls more pinkish
Pink Star is a lovely almost soft raspberry pink shimmer

Below right wearing Addict Stellar Halo Shine in Pink Star, left wearing Addict Stellar Gloss in J’Adior. Foundation shade is Armani Luminous Silk 6.5. Blush is Laura Mercier Fresco. Top from Everlane.

Overall I’m happy with most of my picks. Had I seen them all in person I probably would have picked different colors and skipped most of the nudes I bought – mainly because they look so similar on me. Since the formula pulls sheer-ish I think the brights and bolds would be a lot easier to wear than I anticipated. At this point I don’t think I’ll be hauling any more colors since summer launches are right around the corner and I’m interested in seeing other new things. I do like the look of some of the brighter glosses though which I think would be nice for summer.

Colors I hauled were from Nordstrom and Dior.

Have you tried any of these yet? What did you think?

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Chanel Eye Makeup

Chanel Eye Collection – New Stretch Mascara, Liquid Liner + Brow Duos

March 23, 2020

Chanel launched new products for the eyes and today I have a Chanel Eye Collection review. There are three new products including:

Le Volume Stretch de Chanel Mascara ($35) in Noir 10
Le Liner de Chanel Liquid Liner ($35 each) available in 7 shades
La Palette Sourcils Brow Wax/Powder Duos ($50 each) available in 3 shades

La Palette Sourcils Brow Wax/Powder Duos

There are three La Palette Sourcils Brow Wax/Powder Duos in Light, Medium and Dark. These come with a tinted wax on one side and a powder on the other. The Brow Duos are cased in a compact with four mini tools including a tweezer, spoolie, angled brush and soft small sponge applicator. I tried Medium which is a neutral medium brown color. The wax is soft and easy to apply with the angled brush. It’s been a long time since I’ve tried a wax and this had enough color to wear alone. It filled in my brows and held them in place. The powder is interesting to me. It’s a stiff but pigmented powder. It’s more pigmented than the older brow duos. I haven’t tried a small detail applicator before – most of my brow brushes are angled. The small applicator made it easy to apply in soft strokes although since the handles are so small it took a bit of work to hold. The pros for the applicators are they are compact and easy to travel with. They are usable and well made although full size brushes and tools are easier to hold and use for me.

Lasting power is very good. I didn’t experience any fading or smudging. The brows stayed put all day long!

Natural brows vs just the wax:

Wax plus powder:

Le Liner de Chanel Liquid Liner

Out of the three items in this launch I found the Le Liner de Chanel Liquid Liners to be the most exciting to me! They launched some of the most beautiful shimmers I’ve ever seen! These dry down to a semi-matte finish although the shimmers still have a slightly wet look because of the shimmer. The brush is well designed to apply in one stroke or a feathering motion. I found these took a few seconds to dry depending on how thick a line you draw on. Formula is thin but smooth and very pigmented. Once it sets it does not budge. As one who struggles with pencil liners during the summer months I was really excited to see a brown and plum matte – I think they’ll be excellent for the warm humid months.

Le Volume Stretch de Chanel Mascara

Last is a look at the Le Volume Stretch de Chanel Mascara. This comes in one color and has a rubber twisted brush. I think this is a decent formula to lengthen and define the lashes. The brush did take a bit of practice for me to get used to because of the angles but it’s not impossible to use. It miraculously did not smudge even though it didn’t really hold the curl. I like it a lot but it’s not my favorite. I still think the classic Le Volume de Chanel is the best for me (or the waterproof version). It was easy to remove since it’s not a waterproof formula. Since it did not smudge on me I give it a thumbs up.

Stretch versus Le Volume:

Full beauty breakdown:

Foundation – Armani Luminous Silk Foundation in 6.5
Powder – MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Plus
Blush – Laura Mercier Blush Color Infusion in Fresco + Chanel Les Tissages de Chanel in Tweed Beige (REVIEW)
Eyeshadow – Chanel Les 4 Ombres in Warm Memories (REVIEW) + Blurry Mauve (REVIEW)
Liner – Chanel Le Liner de Chanel in Rouge Noir
Mascara – Chanel Le Volume Stretch de Chanel Mascara in Noir
Brows – Chanel La Palette Sourcils in Medium
Lips – Chanel Lip Pencil in Nude Brun (REVIEW), Rouge Coco Flash Lumiere (REVIEW), Rouge Coco Gloss in Noce Moscata (SWATCHES)
Nail Polish – Chanel Le Vernis in Organdi

Just for fun my little ragdoll buddy keeping me company. He doesn’t like to take photos lol! He’s 7 years old now and I cannot believe it.

Overall a solid line of eye makeup staples. I think the liquid liners are special because of the color selection. I really like the brow duo because of the wax and compact but don’t think it’s essential. The verdict is still out on the mascara because I think it’s really good but I think there are better options.

You can find the Chanel Eye Collection out now, available at Chanel.com and all Chanel retailers.

P.S. Some of the Les Beiges items already popped up on the website and I ordered the two Les Beiges Highlighting Fluids. Also as of today (Tuesday) the Le Blanc Rosy Light Drops just restocked online! (Rosy Light Drops review here in case you missed it).

Chanel Eye collection provided for review.

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Color: Blush, Lipstick + Gloss

Dior Addict Stellar Gloss + Stellar Halo Shine Lipsticks

Dior Addict Stellar Gloss

Dior Stellar Halo Shine Lipsticks

Chanel Eye Collection – New Stretch Mascara, Liquid Liner + Brow Duos

La Palette Sourcils Brow Wax/Powder Duos

Le Liner de Chanel Liquid Liner

Le Volume Stretch de Chanel Mascara

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