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Pat McGrath Labs

Pat McGrath Golden Opulence Collection Review

January 21, 2020

Pat McGrath Lunar New Year Collection 2020 | The Beauty Look Book

For the Lunar New Year holiday coming up this weekend Pat McGrath Labs launched a special Golden Opulence Collection with a new eyeshadow palette and two mini lip gloss trio sets. I ordered both earlier this year and could not be more happy with my haul picks. A few weeks later the team sent the palette as well for review so my backup is being gifted to a friend. I have a look at the new MTHRSHP Sublime Eyeshadow Palette in Golden Opulence and one of the two Mini Lust Gloss Trios in Bronze Opulence.

Pat McGrath Chinese New Year Launch 2020

MTHRSHP Sublime Eyeshadow Palette in Golden Opulence

MTHRSHP Sublime: Golden Opulence

The MTHRSHP Sublime Eyeshadow Palette in Golden Opulence is her 6-pan format which is my favorite one to date. It comes in a mirrored cardboard compact and has a magnetic closure with an elastic band for extra security to keep it closed. The palette has a mix of mattes and shimmers and they apply beautifully on the eye for a golden pink sunset look. I found pigment to be excellent and smooth with long-lasting power. Colors are easy to blend and while it does pull warm it has a few neutrals to balance it out which prevents it from being too warm.

Shimmers almost have a creamy feel to them as they’re soft and almost bouncy – but they are definitely powders!

Pat McGrath MTHRSHP Sublime: Golden Opulence

Pat McGrath Labs MTHRSHP Sublime: Golden Opulence swatches

Colors include the following:

  • Eternal Opulence is a shimmery neutral-warm champagne
  • Tranquility a warm matte brown (looks more neutral-cool in the pan, applies more warm on my arm but more neutral on the eye)
  • Lotus Luxe shimmering soft raspberry
  • Prosperity is a deep matte brown
  • Moon Phase is a shimmery taupe mauve with silver flecks
  • Gold Fortune is a yellow sparkling gold

Mini Lust Gloss Trio

Pat McGrath Bronze Opulence Mini Lip Gloss Trio

She has two new Mini Lust Gloss Trios for the Lunar New Year, I bought Bronze Opulence which actually has two colors I already own. I do love the mini sizes and think they are nice to try if you don’t want to commit to the full size without trying. I think her Lust Gloss is among the best in the market for the smooth cushiony texture and shine.

  • Pale Fire Nectar is a shimmering pink glitter suspended in clearish base (there is no gritty texture or feel though)
  • Flesh 6 is a warm brown red cream
  • Lunar Bronze is new to this kit only (at the moment) and is a smooth metallic red with rich pigment

A few other colors swatched next to the kit. You can see other LUST Gloss reviews and lip swatches here and here.

Pat McGrath Mini Lip Gloss Trio Bronze Opulence

Overall lasting power is average for a gloss. I don’t mind reapplying frequently. They’re comfortable and so SO pretty on the lips. I probably should have passed on this as I already own two of the shades, but I have no regrets buying as I use her glosses a lot. They are quite tiny compared to the full size making them more of a sampler size in my opinion. Enough product to give it a proper test with several wears, but still very tiny.

Look wearing the Golden Opulence Palette plus the three Lunar New Year Glosses in the Bronze Opulence Kit. For skintone reference I’m not a Pat McGrath Skin Fetish Foundation match to Light-Medium 14 (over the summer I was Medium 15, review in this post here).

Pat McGrath Golden Opulence Palette Makeup look

Pat McGrath Golden Opulence 2020 Collection Review

Overall solid performers on both the palette and gloss. I think this is a beautiful collection that can be create some fun looks! If you already own a lot of her palettes you will probably find similar shades across different palettes although I didn’t see any exact dupes.

You can find the Pat McGrath Golden Opulence Collection out now. Available at Pat McGrath and Sephora.

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

 

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Chanel

Chanel Beauty Spring-Summer 2020

January 14, 2020

Chanel Spring-Summer 2020 makeup collection

Chanel Beauty Spring-Summer 2020 just launched and it offers the prettiest palette of soft neutrals for the new year. I’ve been playing with the items for a few weeks now and love everything. The colors are soft and glowy for a new fresh look. You can find all the pieces available now at Chanel.com. The Chanel beauty team sent the collection for review and I have swatches of everything today including:

Illuminating Powder

Chanel Spring 2020 Eclat de Desert Highlighter

The Illuminating Powder Elcat du Desert is one of the softest highlighting powders I’ve ever tried. It’s quite powdery with a lot of kick up on a brush but blends beautifully and seamlessly on the skin. It’s a soft cool-toned pink embossed with a pattern that looks like a desert. The texture is smooth and gives the skin a really pretty glow. I find it unique enough to justify owning even with all the other highlighter options out there. Lasting power is excellent – it stays put all day. Pigment is soft but buildable. It’s smooth and doesn’t emphasize texture or pores on my face.

Chanel Spring 2020 Eclat de Desert Highlighter and Baume Essentiel Golden Light Swatch

Baume Essentiel

Chanel Spring 2020 Baume Essentiel Golden Light

This is my first time trying the Baume Essentiel. The new shade for spring is Golden Light which is a sheer golden bronze. I would love this in a pigmented powder, gloss or eyeshadow form – I think the color is truly gorgeous! The baume itself is ultra dewy and glossy. If you like the concept of a dewy highlight like the RMS Living Luminizers, then you’ll love these. My bestie has been raving about the original Baume Essentiel for months wondering why I didn’t buy it. Dewy balms for the face aren’t my thing – but Golden Light is fun to play around with. I see myself wearing it more on the lips vs face.

On my medium skin once it’s blended it pretty much disappears into a very subtle glossy glow. It almost matches my skin tone. If you have fair or light skin tones it will most likely look deeper and give you more of a bronzed look.

Chanel Spring 2020 Baume Essentiel in Golden Light

Les 4 Ombres

Chanel Spring 2020 Les 4 Ombres Elemental and Warm Memories

There are two new Les 4 Ombres quads for spring. Elemental is the prettiest soft palette of neutral pink and mauve with some taupe shimmer. It’s very neutral-looking on my skin and reminds me of a more subtle version of the NARS Kalahari duo but in quad form with more pinks and mattes. Elemental is the perfect everyday kind of neutral quad.

Warm Memories is a warmer option with a mix of mauve, plum and shimmering orange. It’s a lot more wearable than I anticipated but still pulls very warm. Pigment is medium but buildable and lasting power of both quads is excellent without any fallout.

Chanel Spring 2020 Les 4 Ombres Elemental and Warm Memories swatches

Stylo Ombre et Contour

Chanel Spring 2020 Stylo Ombre et Contour

Chanel Spring 2020 Stylo Ombre et Contour swatches

There are two Stylo Ombre Et Contour products which are essentially chubby pencils that are in the twist up format. The two colors for spring are perfect contouring shades for the lids. I simply swipe on the lids and blend with my finger. Contour Mauve is the perfect my-lids-but-better soft mauve nude pink. Contour Brun is a deeper but very soft brown that adds depth in a natural way for my skin tone. I tried it as a liner and it gives a soft diffused look. They are both creamy, easy to blend and have a matte finish that stays put once it sets.

Ombre Premiere Laque

Chanel Spring 2020 Ombre Premiere Laque

The Ombre Premiere Laque is a new formula of liquid shadow. They have the perfect amount of shimmer and glow when you blend on the lids. I played around with these a few different ways – I can use one or two all over the lids for a wash of color. They also layer on top of powder shadow almost like a top coat. They are like a thicker fluid, not quite creams. Texture is easy to blend and they dry down nicely to a dry finish for long wear. These come with a sponge tip applicator which is sturdy and makes application easy. I blend either with my fingers or a separate cream shadow brush. My favorite color is Quartz Rose and Rising Sun, but really all the colors are gorgeous.

The packaging reminds me of the older Chanel D’Eau Fluids from many years ago, but the fluid ones were more of a watery bases with pigment suspended. The new Ombre Premieres are thicker and not nearly as watery.

Chanel Spring 2020 Ombre Premiere Laque swatches

Lipsticks

Chanel Spring 2020 Lipsticks

The two lip colors are bold this season. They pull very warm and have super rich opaque pigment. The Rouge Allure Velvet Extreme in Endless is a warm bold pink red. I’ve reviewed this formula a few times in the past here and here. This is Chanel’s ultra pigmented matte lipstick that has a velvety finish but does not look or feel dry. They’re very creamy and opaque and smooth.

The Rouge Allure in Rouge Brulant is lighter in color but still very bold and warm. I’d describe it as a warm brick shade. Formula of both is smooth, easy to blend and they glide on the lips flawlessly. There’s no detectable scent in either. The Rouge Allure formula is like a classic lipstick, bold and opaque and creamy with a slight sheen.

Chanel Spring 2020 Rouge Allure Velvet Extreme Endless and Rouge Allure Rouge Brulant

Le Vernis Nail Color

Chanel Spring 2020 Le Vernis Daydream and Mirage

Last but not least are the two new Le Vernis Nail Polishes in Daydream which is the prettiest mauve pink cream and Mirage which is a gorgeous dusty purple. Both have a glossy finish. There is a very slight transparent quality to the color but I can get full coverage with 2 coats. I’m obsessed with Daydream which pulls more muted on the fingers once I get 2 coats and it dries down.

Top is Daydream, bottom is Mirage

Chanel Spring 2020 Le Vernis Daydream and Mirage swatches

Chanel Spring Beauty 2020 Collection Review

Two makeup looks below. Look 1 wearing:

Chanel Spring 2020 Makeup Look Eclat du Desert__________________

Look 2 wearing:

Chanel Spring Makeup 2020 Golden Light and Warm Memories

Overall I think this is a beautiful collection to start off the year. Everything performs well to the typical Chanel standards for high quality textures and lasting power. My recommendations for picking items would be based on your color preferences you see yourself wearing a lot. Quality-wise everything is phenomenal.

My top picks are the Eclat du Desert Illuminating Powder, Elemental Quad, Daydream Le Vernis, both Ombre Contour Pencils and any of the new Ombre Premiere Laque. I would have liked to see a few more lip options but there are always lots of launches closer to February anyways. The new Rouge Allure Camelias have just launched online but I have not yet tested them. For the eyeshadow quads, I loved how both performed. In terms of color selection I can’t say whether or not they are must-haves yet as there are a lot of new launches this year including a few options from Charlotte Tilbury, Natasha Denona and Tom Ford. I’ll have reviews on all of those in the upcoming weeks and will be able to compare them later. I do really like the vibe of Elemental – I think it’s different from the popular reds and oranges these days. It makes for the perfect classic neutral eye.

Did you check out anything from the spring collection yet? What did you think?

You can find all the pieces available now at Chanel.com.

Spring 2020 collection provided by Chanel for review.

 

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Estee Lauder

Fresh Spring Look with the Estée Lauder Act IV Collection by Danielle Lauder

January 6, 2020

Estee Lauder Act IV by Danielle Lauder Review

I’m excited to share a look at the latest from Estée Lauder today! This spring they’ve launched a new limited-edition makeup collection called Act IV created by Estée’s great-granddaughter Danielle Lauder. The collection is filled with soft dreamy pastels that will give a delicate wash of color for the eyes, lips and complexion.  It’s inspired by Danielle’s passion for acting and Hollywood glamour. I’m thrilled to have been given an early sneak peek at the collection! Today I’ve partnered with Estée Lauder to give you a closer look at all the Act IV pieces today.

Everything is presented in gorgeous rose gold and marble packaging giving everything an extra special touch. The overall feel and look is soft and delicate which is perfect for this upcoming spring season.

Estee Lauder Act IV by Danielle Lauder Review

The Collection – Brushed by Fame Makeup Brush Kit

Estee Lauder Act IV Brushed By Fame Makeup Brush Kit

The Act IV collection has a cute mini brush set perfect for touch ups on-the-go. It includes an All-Over Face Brush which can be used for powder or blush, an Angled Blush and Highlight Brush, an Eyeshadow Brush and an Eyeliner Brush. The brushes are easy to hold and make makeup application a breeze.

Estee Lauder Act IV Brushed By Fame Makeup Brush Kit

Cinemattic Complexion Liquid

Estee Lauder Act IV Cinemattic Complexion Liquid

The Cinemattic Complexion Liquid is a sheer complexion product designed to smooth and blur the look of your pores. It comes in a pump applicator and dispenses fluid that blends into the skin with a transparent matte finish. It smooths the complexion in a natural way and helps prepare your skin for foundation. I was really impressed with the blurring properties and weightless finish. I found it worked well with a number of foundations in my collection.

Estee Lauder ACT IV Collection

Spotlight Highlighter

Estee Lauder Act IV Spotlight Highlighter Review

Estee Lauder Act IV Spotlight Highlighter Swatch

The Spotlight Highlighter is my favorite piece in the collection. It has the most stunning mix of lavender and gold honey. The colors are swirled in a marbled effect and it gives the skin a beautiful glow! The shimmer is smooth and adheres well to the skin. It has an almost creamy gel finish and I highly recommend giving this one a try!

Party Puff Starlucent Filtered Powder

Estee Lauder Act IV Party Puff Starlucent Filtered Powder

The Party Puff Starlucent Filtered Powder is a loose powder with a sheer coral tint. It’s a brightening filter powder that adds radiance to the skin. You can apply it all over for a rosy glow to brighten and smooth out the skin but I prefer this as a blush. When layered over a cream blush or bronzer the peach tones pop more for a coral flush. The effect is like a watercolor glow.

Party Puff Starlucent Filtered Powder as a Blush

Best Picture Multi-Look Palette

Estee Lauder Act IV Best Picture Multi-Look Palette review

The Act IV makeup collection also has a soft eyeshadow quad called the Best Picture Multi-Look Palette. It has a mix of soft pastels that have a delicate romantic vibe. There is a soft satin matte light coral (nice for all over the lids or to add warmth to the eyes), a shimmering ivory (to highlight), a shimmery soft lavender and matte charcoal. Colors are soft but buildable. I like the matte charcoal blended for a soft smoky eye look.

Estee Lauder Act IV Best Picture Multi-Look Palette review

Luxe Lip Creme + Lip Duet Tint and Balm

Estee Lauder Act IV by Danielle Lauder Review

There are four lip color options in this launch. The two Luxe Lip Crémes are high pigment lipsticks. I like mixing both of the shades together to create a custom coral pink. Reel Coral is a bright coral that has a matte finish with gold flecks. Reel Rose is a cool-toned soft pale pink with a subtle pearly gold sheen mixed in.

For added hydration the Lip Duet Tint and Balm has a clear light pink balm on one end and a sheer tinted berry red balm on the other.  They come with a marble case to hold both on each end. You can interchange the Luxe Lip Créme with these in the tube if you want to mix and match! The balms are soft and have a slightly glossy sheen. Finish of the red pink side is sheer.

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Estee Lauder Act IV by Danielle Lauder Review

Estee Lauder Act IV by Danielle Lauder Review

Estee Lauder Act IV by Danielle Lauder Review

I hope you enjoyed this first look at the Estée Lauder Act IV Makeup Collection by Danielle Lauder! You can find all the pieces available at Estée Lauder.

 

 

Sponsored by Estée Lauder.

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NARS

NARS Afterglow Collection Review

January 3, 2020

Beauty Look Book NARS Afterglow Collection Review

Happy New Year! I’m starting off 2020 with a review of some new launches from NARS. They launched the Afterglow Collection for spring which has a gorgeous color palette for eyes, lips and cheeks. In the collection we have:

Afterglow Eyeshadow Palette

NARS Afterglow Eyeshadow Palette via The Beauty Look Book

The Afterglow Eyeshadow Palette has 12 shades with a mix of textures in mattes, shimmers, sparkles and pearls. The overall vibe of the palette is warm and on the skin resembles a pink sunset. There are some neutrals mixed in making it more wearable than other warm/red/orange eyeshadow palettes. I ended up hauling the holiday Studio 54 Hyped Palette over Christmas and find it more wearable and neutral for my neutral-loving self compared to this spring’s Afterglow Eyeshadow Palette. At this point I will not have time to review the holiday one but if you can check it out I highly recommend doing so!

The Afterglow Eyeshadow Palette has colors that are all pigmented and easy to blend. I was really pleased with the quality of all the shades. Some of the warmer yellow ones were nice to layer and warm up other shadows even if I don’t see myself wearing alone. Lasting power was excellent and no fallout after it set:

  • First Taste is a soft satin ivory cream with subtle shimmer
  • Shadow Hill is a matte medium neutral soft brown
  • Hot Line is a shimmery copper orange with gold micro flecks
  • Whipped is a deeper medium matte brown
  • Crushed is a matte light orange
  • Mad Love is a warm pink matte
  • Push It is a sparkly metallic multi-chrome pink opal shimmer
  • Riding High is a sparkling mauve with highly reflective sparkle
  • Bayadere I is a chunky copper sparkle
  • Trouble is a warm pink smooth shimmer
  • Deep Cut is a bright but semi-sheer magenta shimmer
  • Guayaquil is deep warm bronze smooth shimmer

NARS Afterglow Eyeshadow Palette Swatches via The Beauty Look Book

Overlust Cheek Palette

NARS Overlust Cheek Palette Review via The Beauty Look Book

The Overlust Cheek Palette is like the palette of my dreams. It has three gel-to-powder shimmer highlighters and three matte blushes. The overall look and vibe is very natural, easy to wear and fresh. The three gel-to-powder highlighters are a new formula from NARS. They look and feel like second skin with a unique almost dry feel. I applied with fingers or a smaller brush like the MAC 133S (small cheek brush) and it applied/blended easily to look like a natural glow. Since it is a dry finish I found it adhered well to my skin without looking or feeling emollient or greasy.

The three powders are soft mattes and look very natural on my skin. They showed up well on my medium skin although I’m at my lightest right now since we haven’t been at the beach much this winter and I’ve lost my tan.

To apply I’ve been using 1 highlighter and 1 blush each time I wear although you can certainly mix/layer colors. I found it lasted long on my skin and I had no issues with any powdery look or darkening/oxidizing.

NARS Overlust Cheek Palette Swatches via The Beauty Look Book

Colors are:

  • Tied Up Highlighter is a shimmering warm champagne
  • Deep Down Highlighter is a soft medium bronze
  • Drift Highlighter is a soft pink shimmer
  • Let it Burn Blush is a soft matte pink
  • Get Lost Blush is a soft peach matte
  • Body Talk Blush is a neutral rose pink brown matte

The only downside is there is no separator for powder and cream. Any kick-up or debris from the powders will most likely eventually mix into the gel-to-powders but so far the powder blushes seem to have minimal powdery residue and I haven’t had any issues yet.

Afterglow Lip Balms

NARS Afterglow Lip Balm Review Spring 2020 via The Beauty Look Book

The Afterglow Lip Balm in Orgasm has been a favorite of mine for a long time now. They released minis in a new color during the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale last July and three new ones at Sephora for holiday. The New Shades now come individually in full size and I could not be more thrilled. The Afterglow Lip Balms are sheer in color and will add a slight hint to your natural lip. I did see a slight color shift after they set on the lips although it’s not as dramatic as some other color-changing balms. I love them all. Your mileage will of course vary depending on your natural lip color.

  • Deep Throat is a shimmery peach pink
  • Torrid is a orange coral
  • Dolce Vita is a soft rose
  • Fast Lane is a pale mauve pink
  • Wicked Ways is a deep plum
  • Turbo is a soft red

NARS Afterglow Lip Balm Swatches Spring 2020 via The Beauty Look Book

NARS Afterglow Lip Balm Lip Swatches Spring 2020 via The Beauty Look Book

Three looks wearing the Afterglow Collection below. Right now I’m a match to NARS Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation to Punjab. Most of the year I’m Vanuatu. I did a review a few years ago with swatches here in case you don’t know your shade. Sweatshirt worn from Madewell.

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Look 1 wearing: Afterglow Eyeshadow Palette, Overlust Cheek Palette with Tied Up + Let it Burn, Afterglow Lip Balm in Deep Throat

NARS Afterglow Makeup Look

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Look 2 wearing: Afterglow Eyeshadow Palette, Overlust Cheek Palette with Deep Down + Get Lost, Afterglow Lip Balm in Torrid

NARS Afterglow Makeup Look 2

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Look 3 wearing: Afterglow Eyeshadow Palette, Overlust Cheek Palette with Drift + Body Talk, Afterglow Lip Balm in Dolce Vita

NARS Afterglow Makeup Look

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Beauty Look Book NARS Afterglow Collection Review

That wraps my review of the NARS Afterglow Collection. I love the overall look and vibe of the palettes and balms. I feel like they were made for my natural glow makeup loving self! I did feel a little overwhelmed with all the options in the eyeshadow palette especially since it pulled more on the warm side. I do think it is a nice one and even though I don’t love every single color I think they are easy to mix and layer. So many of you have asked whether the NARS Afterglow Lip Balms are better than the Dior Addict Lip Glows. I think it’s hard to pick one over the other because they’re both great, although I have found myself reaching for the NARS more.

I have also been testing out the new Tinted Glow Boosters as well so stay tuned for a review soon!

 

You can find the NARS Afterglow Collection out now at Sephora and NARS.

NARS Afterglow Collection provided for review.

 

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Chanel Skincare

Chanel Sublimage Skincare – New Additions

December 23, 2019

Chanel Sublimage Skincare Review | The Beauty Look Book

Chanel has some new additions to their Sublimage Skincare line and after putting them to the test for the past couple of months I have a review to share today. The Chanel Sublimage line has been one of the most luxurious lines I have ever tested. I’ve loved the Eye Cream, Face Mist and Texture Fine Cream in the past. New items to the collection have launched and I’ve been getting so many messages from you to review. I’m thrilled to have been able to put the new launches to the test:

There is also a new Sublimage Le Savon de Soin that launched recently as well but I have not tested it. If you have, I’d love to hear your thoughts! It’s been a long time since I’ve tried a bar soap for the face.

The Sublimage line is best suited for normal to dry skin types (in my opinion) but there are some great products for normal combination skin too. It’s an excellent anti-aging line and comforts the skin in the most luxurious beautiful way. My thoughts on each product below along with some alternate suggestions in case you don’t have dry skin. Mine is more normal to dry right now.

Sublimage L’Huile en Gel de Demaquillage

Chanel Ultimate Comfort and Radiance-Revealing Gel-to-Oil Cleanser

The Sublimage L’Huile en Gel de Demaquillage is their Ultimate Comfort and Radiance-Revealing Gel-to-Oil Cleanser. It’s super gentle and hydrating and dissolves makeup when you rub it into the skin. It contains antioxidants and purifying ingredients to leave the skin feeling extra soft and clean. This is the most hydrating gel-to-oil cleanser I’ve tried. I really like it – it makes my skin feel so soft!

Long-time Chanel lovers might remember the Le Blanc line had a similar product which was reformulated to the current Le Blanc Tri-Phase Makeup Remover cleanser (which I have tried and loved but haven’t repurchased in a while). If you have more oily or combination skin I would recommend opting for the Le Blanc version or the L’Huile Anti-Pollution Cleansing Oil which is a very soft cushiony cleanser more along the lines of a traditional cleansing oil remover.

Sublimage Ultimate Comfort and Radiance-Revealing Gel-to-Oil Cleanser vs L’Huile Anti-Pollution Cleansing Oil, on the nails is Le Vernis in Organdi

Chanel Sublimage L'Huile En Gel Cleanser vs L'Huile Cleansing Oil

Sublimage L’Eau de Demaquilllage

Chanel Sublimage L'Eau de Demaquillage Refreshing and Radiance-Revealing Cleansing Water

The Sublimage L’Eau de Demaquilllage is their Refreshing and Radiance Revealing Cleansing Water. This is also a very hydrating makeup remover and does just as the name implies: refreshes and adds radiance. It won’t take off waterproof eye makeup but it’s great for regular face, lip or eye makeup. It has a very soft fluid feel and is very moisturizing.I found it gentle and soothing on the skin. It has a small rubber opening at the top to control how much product you dispense. A little goes a very long way!

I think it’s a beautiful product but best suited for normal to dry skin. For other cleansing waters I’ve really loved the Lancome Eau Fraiche Micellar Cleansing Water and the Chanel L’Eau Micellaire. I feel either of these will be better for normal or combination skin. I’ve gone through a full bottle of the Chanel L’Eau Micellaire and liked it enough to repurchase. It’s a really nice one!

Sublimage Les Grains de Vanille

Chanel Sublimage Les Grains de Vanille

The Sublimage Les Grains de Vanille is the fanciest face scrub I’ve ever tested and the most gentle one too! If you have ultra sensitive skin that can’t handle most abrasive scrubs this is one I think you might want to look into. It has Vanilla and Jojoba seeds that are super fine and suspended in a gel base. It has a smooth feel and while I can feel some subtle exfoliation it is very gentle. I love the Sublimage scent and wish it came in a body cream form. It’s the most calming and soothing vanilla scent I’ve ever smelled.

I wish I could compare it to something else but this is a unique scrub in my experience. It’s so gentle and soft, it almost doesn’t feel like a scrub.

Chanel Sublimage Purifying and Radiance-Revealing Vanilla Seed Face Scrub

Sublimage La Creme Texture Supreme

Chanel Sublimage La Creme Texture Supreme Travel Size

The Sublimage La Creme Texture Supreme now comes in a mini form that is the perfect size for travel or to try out the formula. It’s still quite spendy at $125 but the 0.5 oz format is perfect to me! I hope they consider launching the other formulas in this size too. Right now you can find regular La Creme in a travel size only in their Sublimage Le Voyage Set.

With the Sublimage La Creme Texture Supreme there’s a little spatula to help keep the cream itself clean. Every cream comes sealed to preserve the product. A little goes a long way and it’s ultra hydrating and smoothing. Skin is instantly calmed, tightness is removed and it gives the skin a luminous finish. I’ve been wearing this one at night more often than for day time because it’s so hydrating.

This year my most-used moisturizer has been the Hydra Beauty Camellia Water Cream. It’s the perfect lightweight texture for my skin. It’s a lovely one to try if you have normal skin.

Sublimage La Brume Intense Revitalizing Mist

Chanel Sublimage Face Mist

One last mention is the Sublimage La Brume Face Mist which is still one of my favorite face mists ever. This is quite the splurge at $200 but it does come with three refills which made the price easier for me to stomach. It dispenses a super fine mist and refreshes the skin without feeling heavy. Even if you have normal or combination skin I don’t think you should let the “intense” part of the name intimidate you. I feel it’s suitable for all skin types.

Chanel Sublimage Skincare Review | The Beauty Look Book

For those of you who have been asking for the Sublimage review I hope you found this helpful! If you’ve tried the Sublimage line I’d love to hear your thoughts! If not, have you tried any other Chanel skincare products?

You can find all the new Chanel Sublimage launches online now at Chanel.com.

P.S. The Spring-Summer Collection has already launched online and it looks so beautiful! Review coming soon 🙂

New Chanel Sublimage Skincare items gifted for review.

 

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Diptyque Holiday Gift Guide Home / Interiors

Favorite Fancy Candles for the Holidays

December 18, 2019

Best Fancy Candles from Diptyque, Cire Trudon and Byredo

There’s nothing quite like a good bougie candle to make your home feel extra fancy, warm and cozy all at the same time. By popular request I have an updated favorites roundup for the holiday season! My tried and true favorites remain the same with my top three favorite brands being Diptyque, Byredo and Cire Trudon. Many of these I started burning in late fall and will continue using many of these through early spring.

Diptyque

Best Diptyque Candles

1. Diptyque Baies is in my top three favorites and this one is my most burned, repurchased and recommended candle ever! It has notes of rose and blackcurrant, it smells like berries and rose to me. I’ve bought this in almost all the different sizes. If you are new to Diptyque this is the one I recommend to everyone.

2. Diptyque Feu de Bois is one of the best firewood smokey scents. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea but it always feels like Christmas to me! It smells warm and cozy.

3. Diptyque Vanille is a smokey vanilla. It’s not your typical sweet gourmand vanilla. It’s almost like a leather smokey kind of vanilla that has a warm vibe.

4. Diptyque Ambre is my favorite amber scent. It has the perfect mix of wood, vetiver and patchouli with a hint of spice. It’s another warm one – I bought the large colored glass version a few years ago and found it a lot more potent than the standard size (which is still very good).

5. Diptyque Santal is the best sandalwood candle. It’s not too strong or spicy and is perfect year round.

I bought the Mini Carousel Set and standard size Lucky Charm carousels last year and love them! They usually have them out only during the holiday season. Both are still available right now at Nordstrom.

Cire Trudon

Cire Trudon Christmas

6. Cire Trudon Ernesto is the best candle of all time to me. It’s a magical mix of leather and tobacco – but I find it hard to describe. I have yet to try all the Cire Trudon candles (I have also tried minis of Positano and Rose Poivree which were lovely!). They’re the most expensive candle splurge I’ve made for the home in past years. Every Christmas they launch special edition packaging for a selection of scents. The Cire Trudon team was generous enough to send this year’s for review and it’s GLORIOUS! I have the Classic size but it also comes in two larger options.

7 / 8 / 9 Cire Trudon Gabriel, Nazareth and Fir have been on my radar for years but every time I’ve decided to buy one I always go back to Ernesto. They have a beautiful Odeurs D’Hiver Christmas Trio which is boxed in the most beautiful packaging I have ever seen. Every candle in the box is carefully packed with inserts around the edges and also in the top to protect the wick/wax. Gabriel is glorious mix of leather, chestnut and wood. Nazareth is a mix of clove, oranges and cinnamon (smells like Christmas!). I’ve always been more of a pine lover for Christmas scents but Cire Trudon Fir is so unique and sweet while still being very green.

Byredo

Best Byredo Candles

10. Byredo Tree House is my favorite one from the line. When I first smelled it years ago I actually did not like the way it smelled straight out of the jar. It wasn’t until I smelled it burning in their New York store that I decided to give it a try. It has the most amazing mix of cedar, bamboo, sandalwood, guaiac wood, hay, spice, myrrh and labdanum. It’s warm and cozy with wood and spice mix.

11. Byredo Bibliotheque is almost like a smoky candle version of Bal D’Afrique perfume to me. It’s not as sweet but to me it has a similar vibe that is so unique and unlike anything else I’ve tried. Even the little one has amazing throw.

Room Sprays

Aesop Room Spray Trio Set

12. Aesop Room Sprays – For those who cannot burn candles room sprays are a great alternative. I’m completely obsessed with all the Aesop Room Sprays and was thrilled to find they launched a mini trio this holiday! I’ve also loved Diptyque Baies and 34 Boulevard St. Germain sprays as well for our home. I’ve been dying to try one from Byredo but haven’t yet.

Best Christmas Candles

How I recycle and clean out wax to recycle/repurpose candles in this post here. What are your favorite home scents for the holiday season?

 

 

Cire Trudon candles gifted. All others purchased by me.

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Lips Victoria Beckham Beauty

Victoria Beckham Beauty Haul

December 10, 2019

Victoria Beckham Beauty Review

I have a Victoria Beckham Beauty haul to share today! Everything looked so beautiful in a polished yet effortless kind of way and I was really curious to see what they looked like in person. This is the first time I’ve tried anything from a Victoria Beckham Beauty line. Past launches with Estee Lauder always sold out so fast, I felt like I blinked and everything was gone. Her current collection can be found on her website Victoria Beckham Beauty and also at Violet Grey.

I ordered directly from her website and everything arrived relatively fast for standard shipping. Products came in a white drawstring bag and everything was well packed/protected. I have on item in the haul that I’m not reviewing yet which is her Cell Rejuvenating Moisturizer because I need more time to test. First impressions are positive from me but more on this later.

Lip Definer

Victoria Beckham Beauty Lip Definer

Her Lip Definers were the products that interested me the most. I ordered Shades 01, 02, 03 and 04. They’re smooth full coverage lip pencils in shades designed to enhance the natural lip color. They’re described as waterproof and I found them very opaque and long-wearing. Colors I bought and some lip pairings I’ve tried:

When I used these pencils alone to line and fill the lips the result was too opaque, dark and rich for my skin tone. But this is the case with most lip pencils. The best way to wear these is as a lip pencil to outline and define the outer edges of the lip and pair with a lipstick or gloss. I am still experimenting with the combinations but overall I think the colors are really beautiful and easy to wear.

Victoria Beckham Beauty Lip Definer

Victoria Beckham Beauty Lip Definer

Comparison swatches to MAC Lip Pencils in Whirl, Stripdown, Boldy Bare, Dervish, Chanel Lip Definer in Nude, Pat McGrath Permagel Lip Pencil in Contour, Done Undone, Suburbia, Bare Rose, Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat in Pillow Talk and Marc Jacobs Poutliner in Primrose

Neutral Lip Liner Swatches

Bitten Lip Tint

Victoria Beckham Beauty Bitten Lip Stain

I have mixed feelings about the Bitten Lip Tint. It has a berry tint that looks beautiful on the lips but being a stain that is semi sheer – one coat was a bit streaky. Two coats evens out better. It’s non drying and has a very slight sheen to it. Once on the lips it stains the lips purple. As it faded it left an unflattering purply brown look on my lips but it did last a very very long time. It’s a gel tint with a sponge tip applicator – however there is no room inside for any air flow in or out of the tube so when I put the sponge back into the tube to close it, the air from the inside popped the top insert out. It was easy to push back in so its not a deal breaker.

Victoria Beckham Beauty Bitten Lip Stain

Satin Kajal Liner

Victoria Beckham Satin Kajal Liner

The Satin Kajal Liners come in 3 colors and I tried Bronze which is more of a golden brass shimmer rather than a bronze to me and Black which is a true black. They’re ultra soft and pigmented. There’s a sponge tip on one end to smoke out the color. When applied along the top lashes it blended beautifully and it stayed put all day. However I tried it on the bottom of the eyes and it smudged on me. I think they’re nice to try but if you absolutely need something long wearing I think the Sisley Phyto Khol Eyeliners are far superior.

Victoria Beckham Satin Kajal Liner + Lid Luster Mink swatches

Lid Luster

Victoria Beckham Lid Luster Mink

The concept of the Lid Lusters appealed to me but only one of the colors looked like something I could see myself wearing. They’re pressed pigments with lots of sparkle and pearl and they blend beautifully! Mink is a sparkling ultra shimmery deep silver taupe with brown tones. It applied a lot cooler-toned than I anticipated but is still really lovely. I think the formula is better than Hourglass Scattered Light Eyeshadows and those are among my favorites. I do wish they had more colors to pick from. Hopefully they will expand the line. They glide on so easily and I had no fall out issues with the sparkles.

Natasha Denona Biba Palette Eyeshadows + Victoria Beckham Lid Luster in Mink + Satin Kajal in Black

Victoria Beckham Lid Luster Mink

Swatch comparisons to Hourglass Scattered Light Shadows (review here and here), Laura Mercier Caviar Eye Stick in Intense Moonlight, By Terry Ombre Blackstar in Bronze Moon (review here)

Taupe Shimmer Eyeshadow Swatches

Look wearing Lid Luster in Mink and Lip Liner 03:

Victoria Beckham Beauty Review

Overall thoughts are that I think she has a beautiful beauty line to start. I would have loved to see some coordinating lip sheers or lipsticks to go with the lip pencils with the initial launch. I think the Lid Luster formula is really phenomenal and I hope she expands the color range!

You can find her current collection can be found on her website Victoria Beckham Beauty and also at Violet Grey. Have you tried anything yet? What did you think?

 

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