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Chanel

Chanel Holiday 2019: Les Ornements de Chanel

November 17, 2019

The Chanel Holiday 2019 Les Ornements de Chanel collection has launched and it has some beautiful pieces I want to wear for the rest of the holiday season! The powder products have the prettiest embossed patterns that look like ornaments. Texture, quality, pigment and lasting power are impressive with all items. I have swatches of everything today plus some beauty looks featuring:

Eclat Magnetique de Chanel Illuminating Powder in Metal Peach $70
Les 4 Ombres in Lumiere Et Opulence $65
Ombre Premiere Creamy Powder Shadows in Grandeur and Poupre Brun $36 each
Stylo Yeux Waterproof in Khaki Intense $33
Rouge Allure in 6 shades $45 each
Rouge Coco Gloss in Rouge Carmin and Rouge Grenat $30 each
Le Vernis in Richness and Deepness $28 each

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Eclat Magnetique de Chanel Illuminating Powder in Metal Peach

Up first is the new holiday highlighter Eclat Magnetique de Chanel Illuminating Powder in Metal Peach is one of the most sparkly intense highlighters I’ve tried from Chanel – but it does apply with a smooth sheen. It has a complex metallic peach champagne color that pulls a bit pinkish on my olive tan skin. If you’re lighter in skintone (ie lighter than a Chanel Beige 40) this will pull more peach rather than a paler sharp highlight like it does on me. It’s quite pigmented but blends easily. I had to be careful and use only a tiny bit on the brush. Even though it has a sparkly finish it’s very smooth and didn’t emphasize pores. Lasting power was excellent. I love the embossed pattern on the surface. I feel like Chanel is always really creative with the embossing!

Swatch comparisons below to other Chanel highlighters. The texture is creamier than the Poudre Lumiere which is harder/stiffer. It has a similar texture to the Le Signe du Lion formula.

Full face look wearing:

Foundation Chanel Ultra Le Teint Velvet Foundation in B50
Powder is Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Powder in Medium
Blush is Chanel Joues Contraste in Golden Sun on cheeks (discontinued)
Highlight/glow is the Chanel Metal Peach Highlighter to highlight
Brows are Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz in Medium Brown
Eyeshadow is Les 4 Ombres in Lumiere Et Opulence on
Lips are the Chanel Rouge Allure in 807 Rouge Delicieux
Sweater from Nordstrom

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Holiday Eye Makeup

The eye makeup is unique for a holiday look to me. It feels more like fall to me but if you’re tired of the warm/red/pink eye palettes that dominate the market, these are going to be a refreshing change. The Les 4 Ombres in Lumiere Et Opulence quad gives a smokey olive eye on me. Colors are ultra smooth and buttery. They all have some degree of shimmer and are easy to layer. Colors include a deep olive shimmer, a shimmery pale pink, shimmery light olive and shimmering brown plum. They swatch a lot prettier than they look in the pans! Lasting power is excellent and I feel like pigment is better than their usual quads.

The two Ombre Premieres for holiday in Grandeur (warm gold) and Poupre Brun (deep plum) are creamy to the touch which is new to me. Most of this formula seem more like powders. These have a slightly creamy soft feel and dry to a powder. Pigment is excellent and easy to blend. Colors aren’t my top picks but are nice to layer and mix with other colors.

The Stylo Yeux Waterproof in Khaki Intense was a hit for me. I love the deep khaki moss green look and I normally do not like olive shades on me. It’s a nice softer alternative to black. It glides on smoothly and lasts all day.

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Holiday Rouge Allure Shades

The Rouge Allure Lipsticks are all luminous creams for the season. They’re ultra creamy without any tugging (like some other shades pull). Every single color is beautiful and I think if you’re looking for a classic bold holiday lip, Chanel has it all sorted out for you. The coverage is full and they have a glossy shiny finish. Lasting power is excellent and they feel ultra smooth and hydrating on the lips without feeling heavy.

807 Rouge Delicieux is a rose pink
817 Rouge Splendide is a bright coral pink
827 Rouge Magnifique is a bright orange
837 Rouge Spectacuaire is a bold red
847 Rouge Majestuex is a bold plum
857 Rouge Noble is a deeper plum

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Holiday Rouge Coco Gloss

For gloss Chanel has two ultra pigmented reds in the Rouge Coco Gloss finish. These pack in a lot more pigment and coverage compared to many of the other glosses in this formula. They’re super shiny with a hydrating feel. 824 Rouge Carmin is a bold classic red, 826 Rouge Grenat is a deeper wine red. I truly appreciate that they launched reds that don’t turn fuchsia or bright pink on my lips.

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Holiday Le Vernis

For the nails I’ve been wearing the Chanel Le Vernis in Richness which is a deep red in the bottle but pulls to a deeper brown red on the nails. It’s the color I’ve been getting TONS of messages and DMs about because I’ve been wearing it on Instagram Stories. There is another deep olive green shade called Deepness which is an olive almost black color. Both are creams with excellent coverage. They apply smoothly and I prefer 2 coats.

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Overall some lovely pieces for the classic beauty lover. If you want something new but not too trendy to wear for the holiday season Chanel has lots of beautiful options. The Rouge Allure lipsticks are the stand outs to me. As a Chanel highlighter collector and lover I think Metal Peach is quite lovely if you apply with a light hand. For eyes I really love Khaki Intense for a deep smokey liner that isn’t as basic as your regular black or brown pencil.

Chanel has also launched all of their Holiday Beauty Sets, Skincare Sets and Fragrance Sets online. I’m still in the process of putting together holiday gift guides so I’m not sure which ones I will be reviewing but if are interested in any specific ones let me know and I’ll try to add them to my review list! In other Chanel newness though they’ve added some amazing pieces to their Sublimage Skincare Line which I’ve been testing and will review soon. I’ve also been using their new Les Exclusifs de Chanel Gentle Oil for Hair and Body and it’s the most amazing body oil I’ve ever tried. I’ve been a huge fan of the Body Cream for years so it’s no surprise that the oil is just as amazing!

You can find the Chanel holiday makeup collection out now. Available at Chanel.com and all Chanel counters. Have you checked out anything from the collection yet? What did you think?

Chanel holiday gifted by Chanel.

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Patrick TA Sephora

Patrick Ta Beauty Haul Review + Swatches

November 11, 2019

I have a Patrick Ta Beauty haul to share today! I’ve accumulated quite a few things I’ve purchased from Sephora over the past few months. As a neutral nude makeup lover I was really interested in his Monochrome Moment collection and so I’ve put together a roundup of everything I’ve tested to date. Overall I think there are some really nice pieces, but I don’t think they’ll appeal to everyone. More thoughts on why for each product below.

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Major Glow Lip Shine

Up first are the Patrick Ta Major Glow Lip Shines ($22 each) in three colors. These are smooth non sticky glosses with a minty scent. There’s no tingle sensation as one might expect with the mint and they feel smooth without any gritty texture even with the sparkle. These have a clear base even though they look tinted in the tubes. The sparkles are different colors. These are pretty alone or on top of lipstick, but I wish there was more visible color payoff rather than just sparkle. Lasting power isn’t the best – they feel like they disappear from lips fairly quickly. I prefer Pat McGrath and Hourglass glosses for texture, color and lasting power.

I have two different kinds of applicators: two have a flat sponge tip and one has an angled sponge tip. I’m not sure if they changed it at some point or if there are different applicators for different colors.

I’ve added swatches of other sparkle glosses below including Pat McGrath LUST Glosses in Pale Fire Nectar, Aliengelic, Earth Angel, Hourglass Unreal Gloss in Cosmic and MAC Dazzleglass in Sugarrimmed.

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Monochrome Moment: Silky Lip Creme and Precision Lip Crayon

As a neutral lip lover the Monochrome Moment had me so excited. The colors ended up being a lot different than promotional stock photos and swatches but I still really like the concept and colors. I bought 3 of the Silky Lip Cremes (the lightest one was too light for my skin tone) in She’s Independent, She’s Secure, She’s Confident and they’re all warmer and lighter than I anticipated. To get a better sense of the undertone I included swatches of other colors I thought would in the same color family including Chanel Rouge Allure Ink Fusion in Beige Naturel, Tom Ford Lip Lacquer in Universal Appeal, Lawless Soft Matte Liquid Lipsticks in Leo and George, NARS Velvet Lip Glides in Swing and Xenon, NARS Powermatte Lip Pigment in American Woman and Fenty Stunna Lip Paint in Uncuffed.

She’s Independent is a neutral pink beige nude, She’s Secure is a warm peachy pink nude, She’s Confident is the darkest option which is a warm nude rose. I anticipated them being more rosy and cool-toned. On me they all pull warm.

Texture wise they’re like liquid cremes that don’t dry down to a matte finish (which I really love). They’re super creamy and opaque and give full coverage with a tiny bit of shine. They will transfer if you touch your lips, in particular I found they stuck to my teeth easily. Lasting power is decent as long as you don’t touch your lips. If you’re looking for a neutral rose I recommend passing on the colors he has out right now.

The Precision Lip Crayons are click-up pencils with an angled flat tip. They’re creamy and easy to apply for full coverage. I recommend feathering as they’re very opaque and have a matte finish. Once they set they are super long wearing. You can definitely pair these with the Silky Lip Creme but the lip cremes are so pigmented and opaque the liners won’t show through. I bought three: She’s Humble is a neutral nude pink and She’s Proud is a slightly deeper rose and She’s Strong is a cool-toned brown.

Swatch comparisons to other neutrals I have: Pat McGrath Permagel Done Undone, Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat in Iconic Nude and Pillow Talk, Marc Jacobs Poutliner in Nudist and Primrose, MAC Lip Pencils in Stripdown, Whirl and Boldly Bare.

Lip swatches of 2 of the lip pencils and 3 lip cremes:

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Velvet Blush

I hauled all four the Monochrome Moment Velvet Blushes and think these will be hit or miss depending on how much color payoff you want in a blush. The texture is stiff/hard but not so hard that it’s impossible to pick up color. The texture makes it so the product is buildable and will give you a natural blushed look without being overdone. Swatching on hand in store won’t give you the true sense of how these apply on the face. Fingers barely pick up any powder or pigment. Using a brush and swatching on hand as well won’t show you much color. Sheer/hard texture doesn’t necessarily mean bad – they do show up on my skin, I just wish it had a softer and easier to apply formula.

Swatches on the arm with a heavy hand and then below applied on the face, She’s Adorable has the best color payoff/pigment:

For skintone reference I am wearing the Milk Flex Foundation Stick in Golden Sand, equivalent of Armani Luminous Silk in 6.5, MAC NC30-35, Pat McGrath 14 or 15, Chanel Ultra Le Teint Velvet in Beige 40. I’m starting to lose my tan slightly and I’ve also gone back to 100% dark hair as I’m trying to grow out my highlights. My colorist added a dark toner that almost matches my natural hair color last week.

Blushes are packed on pretty heavily on the face to show the color differences. With regular application of just one or two swipes the color is a lot more sheer.

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Major Glow On the Go Duo

The last thing I wanted to review was the Major Glow on the Go Duo with the Glitter Body Oil in A Dream and Major Glow Lip Shine in She’s Expensive. I really like the body oil finish and texture – it has a spritzer applicator and the oil itself smells like sweet candy. I’m not the biggest fan of the scent but it’s not a deal breaker and it fades after a few minutes. The Lip Shine isn’t a must for me but if you’re looking for a subtle glitter gloss this is a nice one to try.

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Overall I really love the lip liners for the lasting power, texture and packaging! The lip cremes have a nice texture but the colors weren’t anything like I expected. The ones I bought still work for a nude lip look on my complexion but they’re very warm toned so may not work for all skin tones. I would like them more if they didn’t transfer to my teeth so easily. The blushes are nice for a subtle everyday kind of blush but the stiff texture and sheer color payoff will most likely make it a miss for many. While I don’t think they’re bad I do think other brands and options are better. The lip shines are just ok for me – I had higher expectations and hopes with the pretty sparkle, on my lips they’re so sheer and the lasting power isn’t there.

Have you tried anything from Patrick Ta Beauty? What did you think?

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Pat McGrath Labs

Pat McGrath Labs Obsessive Opulence Holiday 2019

November 5, 2019

The Pat McGrath Labs Obsessive Opulence Collection for Holiday 2019 has launched and I have a look at select pieces today. The launch is similar to last year’s release where there are three different color themes and packaging. The Pat McGrath Labs team kindly sent over a beautiful press package with pieces from all three themes (red, pink and blue) but I decided to review only the pieces I thought I would actually wear (the red and pink themed ones). Everything is true to Pat McGrath’s style for holiday: opulent, glamorous, luxe and bold.

What I’ve included in my review for the Holiday 2019 launch:

Blitz Astral Eyeshadow Quads ($65 each)
- Ritualistic Rose
- Iconic Illumination
Chromaluxe Hi-Lite Cream ($30 each)
- Pale Gold 002
MatteTrance Lipsticks ($40 each, limited-edition packaging, colors are repromotes)
- Pale Pink Packaging:
  - 1995
  - Deep Orchid
- Red Packaging
  - Omi
  - Guinevere

You can find the full collection pieces listed on the Pat McGrath Obsessive Opulence Holiday 2019 page. There are other lipstick duos in special-edition packaging however all colors are repromotes from the regular line. There are a number of holiday bundles that are offered at a value price. I skipped reviewing the blue eyeshadow quad, blue packaging lipsticks and blue hi-lite cream.

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Blitz Astral Eyeshadow Quad Ritualistic Rose

For the eyes there are new eyeshadow palettes in the form of quads this holiday! I love the more compact size and option (versus the large Mothership Palettes). To date my favorite combinations are still the ones in the 6-pan palettes (reviewed here and here). The new ones for this holiday are glitzy and super fun for party looks. Up first is Ritualistic Rose.

Blitz Astral Eyeshadow Quad in Ritualistic Rose is a very sparkly glitzy option. Colors include Antique Gold 002 (glittery yellow gold), Astral Rose Orchid (sparkling duo chrome pink with gold glitter), Rose Quartz 005 (beautiful sparkling plum with tiny micro flecks) and Beyond Bronze 003 (shimmery bronze with gold sparkles). The top two shades seem to be more sparkly top coats while the bottom two have more pigment in the base. All the colors have some degree of sparkle/glitter in them making this super shimmery.

Below wearing Ritualistic Rose, 1995 Matte Trance (top and middle), Deep Orchid Matte Trance (bottom). For skintone reference I’m either the PatMcGrath Skin Fetish Foundation Light Medium 14 or Medium 15 (equivalent of MAC NC35). On the cheeks is Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit in Ghost.

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Blitz Astral Eyeshadow Quad Ritualistic Rose Iconic Illumination

Blitz Astral Eyeshadow Quad in Iconic Illumination is a warm toned quad with one glitter and four smoother shimmers. In this quad you have Astral Gold Allure (champagne gold glitz), Blitz Bordeaux (metallic deep red), Blitz Brown (deep brown shimmer) and Bronze Gold 003 (warm metallic copper). The pigment in the metallic shades is excellent – smooth, pigmented, easy to blend and layer. The glitter adheres if pressed into the lids and it applies evenly as a topper. This one turned out to be easier to wear – especially if you layer the deeper shades on top of each other.

Below wearing Blitz Astral Quad in Iconic Illumination and MatteTrance in Omi. On the cheeks is the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette Unlocked (last year’s reviewed here).

There will be some fallout during the application process if you use a fluffy brush – the glitters will stick better with a dense brush or if patted on with fingers. However once they’re on the eyes they stay put for me!

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MatteTrance Lipsticks

The Pat McGrath MatteTrance Lipstick is my favorite matte lipstick formula of all time. I’ve purchased several on my own and think they’re 100% worth the splurge. They’re smooth mattes that glide on flawlessly with full coverage. The color range is perfect with neutrals, rose colors, plums, reds, orange shades, browns etc. I think the holiday color packaging is always fun. The pink is the prettiest shade of soft pink and I love the bright bold red. Colors are repromotes though so if you already own them then shop your stash!

MatteTrance Lipsticks in 1995 and Deep Orchid come in the pale pink packaging. 1995 is a neutral rose nude, Deep Orchid is a perfect plum. MatteTrance Lipsticks in Omi and Guinevere come in the bright red packaging this year. Omi is the perfect medium rose and Guinevere is a bold red. They’re one-swipe wonders, have excellent lasting power, don’t dry the lips and don’t make them look shriveled.

I swatched them on the arm, also included the colors in the blue packaging as well:

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Chromaluxe Hi-Lite Cream

For the cheeks there is a new product called the Chromaluxe Hi-Lite Cream which is an ultra concentrated sparkle cream that comes in a tiny tube. It’s not a product I see myself wearing, even for parties or holiday. The product comes out a white gold cream but once blended the white gold disappears and you end up seeing a yellow gold sparkle. The color of the yellow sparkle on my already yellow/golden skin isn’t the best combination. It will blend out nicely and adhere well to the skin for an added highlight. Once blended all I see is tiny flecks of gold glitter. I applied it on my brow bone and on the highlight points of cheeks – using it sparingly because the tube is quite tiny!

Heavy swatch above on the hand but once you blend it out, all you see is tiny glitters. A closer look on the face below. I’m not sure if it’s easy to see in photos – it’s something that is more visible in real life versus a photo.

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Overall I’m loving both of the quads, even though they’re outside of my comfort zone. I still don’t really love the warm red eye trend that shows no signs of stopping anytime soon, but I find Iconic Illumination is really easier to wear with layering. It’s a lot easier for me to wear compared to the pink tones from Charlotte Tilbury’s Pillow Talk, and I fully expected the Pat McGrath to be hard for me to pull off.

Ritualistic Rose is a glitzy one for a more sparkly eye, I think the plum and bronze colors are so beautiful – they have the right undertone to be flattering on a wide range of skin tones.

Since I already own most of the MatteTrance Lipsticks in the holiday collection I don’t think any of them are must- haves just for the packaging. Although I’m a sucker for anything pink! Even though the colors are repromotes I always think it’s fun to see which colors Pat McGrath focuses on for collections – helps give me ideas of what combinations to try with the palettes or what to revisit for the season. Most of her mattes are timeless classics you can wear anytime of year though!

I’m not sure what to think about the Hi-Lite cream. It’s not really my vibe and I usually can’t wear yellow gold glitters on the face or eyes. The packaging is super tiny. I feel like for a good golden sparkle the Hourglass Scattered Light in Foil or Burnish are better options that are easier to wear.

You can find the full Pat McGrath Obessive Opulence Collection at PatMcGrath.com. Select pieces also available at Sephora.

Have you tried anything from the holiday launch yet? What did you think?

Pat McGrath Obessive Opulence Collection kindly provided courtesy of the Pat McGrath Labs team for review.

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Tom Ford Beauty

Tom Ford Beauty Soleil Neige Collection

October 23, 2019

I hauled practically everything from the Tom Ford Beauty Soleil Neige collection for the season and have swatches for you today. In today’s post is a look at each piece with swatches and three makeup looks at the end of the post. There’s quite a bit to cover just with swatches and comparisons alone!

In testing everything I have mostly hits. Formula-wise everything performed as I expected. I did have some misses color-wise which I’ll note below. In addition I see quite a lot of repeats/similarities to previous and existing colors so if you already own a lot of Tom Ford beauty products you might want to shop your stash. In today’s post:

Soleil Eye Color Quad in Soleil Neige and Soleil D’Hiver ($88 each)
Cream and Powder Eye Color Duos in Fleur Neige and Reflection ($65 each)
Glow Drops in Reflects Gilt and Glacial Rose ($50 each)
Soleil Glow Sticks in Soleil Neige, Megeve and Courchevel ($55 each)
Clutch-Size Soleil Lip Balm in Apres Soleil, Paradiso and Baie D’Hiver ($36 each)

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Soleil Neige Eyeshadow Quads

I bought two of the three Soleil Eye Color Quads in Soleil Neige (silvery smokey tones) and Soleil D’Hiver (neutral peachy shimmers). The formula for these quads is the same as Nude Dip/Honeymoon/Body Heat where it’s pressed metallic pigments with a smooth texture and rich shine.

Soleil Neige has the traditional pale ivory/grey/gunmetal shades you’d find in a smokey eye quad. While the color combination isn’t the most unique, I do think the pigment and shimmer is quite phenomenal and striking for a good smokey eye. It’s really beautiful, but if you own other smokey quads I don’t think it’s a must-have. It has a pale white frost, a shimmery warm silver, a deep blue with silver flecks and a deep smokey metallic grey-black with flecks of sparkle. Application is smooth, easy to layer and very shimmery.

Soleil D’Hiver made my heart sing the second I saw it! It has all my kinds of colors with the prettiest mix of neutrals and shimmers. In the pan it looks significantly more peachy than it swatches on my skin. On my medium-tan complexion the colors pull more pink and neutral-cool than warm peach (as I had hoped). Still I have no complaints at all though as it’s one of the most beautiful neutrals I’ve ever swatched. It is very metallic and pigment is ultra rich with a dense brush or over a cream base. You can get a more sheer effect if you apply with a loose fluffy brush. Colors include a sparkling pinkish white, a shimmery metallic peachy pink, a metallic rose mauve and a shimmery cool brown.

Swatch comparisons below to a few other Tom Ford quads including Double Indemnity, Titanium Smoke, Nude Dip and Suspicion. (Double Indemnity and Suspicion reviewed here.)

For a smokey eye quad I prefer Double Indemnity because it applies warmer on my skin. For the neutrals I thought Soleil D’Hiver would be like Suspicion but it pulls more like Nude Dip, just warmer.

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Cream and Powder Duos

There are also two new Cream and Powder Duos which are both brand new colors and I love both. Fleur Neige has a sparkling platinum white top coat and a shimmery grey brown cream. Both shades perform like the other Cream + Powder Duos from Tom Ford. I ended up loving this a lot more than I anticipated, it gives the perfect fall cool-toned silvery taupe eye with some sparkle but it’s not too cool-toned or blue-based like some greys can be.

Reflection on the other hand is different from most of the other Cream/Powder Duos. Most of the ones I’ve tried have a creamy medium-pigmented base and an almost clear top coat that just has colored glitter flecks. The base usually doesn’t have a lot of color, and they’re more toppers. Reflection’s cream base is a beautiful sheer golden color that almost matches my skin tone. It applies on the sheer side and acts more like a creamy base for the bronze powder. The top is a deep bronze powder with gold flecks and to me it’s more of a traditional eyeshadow rather than a true glitter top coat.

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Soleil Neige Complexion/Face

I was so excited for the Glow Drops this season (I missed out last year!). These are fluid gel liquid highlighters with a subtle sheen. Reflects Gilt which is a pale shimmering champagne gold and Glacial Rose a bronzey shimmery rose. The texture is fluid-like with a dropper similar to the NARS Orgasm Liquid Highlighter, but the Tom Ford ones aren’t quite as watery – they’re a little thicker with more density/substance so they don’t drip down the hand like water.

The Glow Drops have an ultra fine smooth shimmer. The pigment when blended out is sheer and gives the skin a very natural glow. They dry down to an almost powder-like texture and stay put all day long. On my skin they pull very sheer but the glow is visible in real life (not so much in photos). I like that they actually do dry down so they don’t get too dewy looking or greasy by mid-day.

Swatches below of Reflects Gilt and Glacial Rose with comparisons to a few other liquid highlighters from Tom Ford. Everything blends out to a very sheer glowy finish. Pigment isn’t rich or intense so if you need a more noticeable glow I’d recommend you try something else like the Tom Ford Skin Illuminating Duos, NARS Highlighting Powders or Hourglass Vanish Flash Highlighting Sticks. (Note that the Shimmer Shots are discontinued.)

For cheeks are three new Glow Sticks this year. These are creamy twist up sticks with one shimmer side and one non-shimmer side. These are very emollient and dewy – you can layer for more color but on my skin once they’re blended I find the color sheer and subtle. While I don’t find them super greasy they don’t dry down at all on my skin and for Florida weather I think they would be a no-go most of the year. It’s finally started to cool down a little but we’ve had some tropical storms which makes everything humid. The weather changes daily here so some days it feels like fall, other days it feels like a wet sauna outside.

If you have super oily skin or can’t do creams these will most likely be too emollient for you. I do think every color option is very easy to wear for a natural look. The shimmer is very fine without any texture (it’s very smooth!).

Soleil Neige has a pale gold shimmer and peach cream, Megeve has a medium pink cream and medium coppery pink shimmer, Couchervel has a deep plum brown with a slight hint of shimmer and a shimmery lighter rosy copper brown. I found that if I applied the Glow Drops first and let it dry/set, it made the Glow Sticks last longer if I then applied them on top.

Lasting power is very good as long as you don’t touch your face! I swatched these with a heavy hand so you can see the color. Also included the original Glow Stick in Sunstruck (I think it’s now discontinued though). You can see below at the bottom of this post how natural they look once blended out on the face. Of course if you have lighter/fairer skin than me these will show up with more color. I’m still fairly tan! For skintone reference I’m a match to Tom Ford Sable, MAC NC35, Armani Luminous Silk in 6.5 or 7, Pat McGrath Foundation in 14 or 15.

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Lip Balms

I decided to try 3 of the 4 Clutch-Sized Lip Balms this season. I have mixed feelings about these. I love the formula – texture is smooth, easy to apply and they feel hydrating without being thick. I don’t love the colors.

Apres Soleil is a nude beige which pulls too pale on my complexion – worn alone it doesn’t give me the best look (almost deathly), but if I apply a pinkish liner first then top with the balm, it looks great!

Paradiso is a gorgeous bright semi-sheer coral pink-peach. This one is the best color for me but as much as I adore this one I can’t help but feel like it’s a little boring because they repeat Paradiso in different variations pretty much every year.

Baie D’Hiver is a plum brown which has pretty good coverage and pigment for a balm. It’s a straight purple plum without any pink or red tones. Purple lips aren’t really my thing – my olive complexion doesn’t go so well with purples. Formula-wise they feel great. Lasting power is average for a balm, you will need to reapply more than a lipstick, but it’s comfortable so I don’t mind.

Three looks wearing the following:

Foundation is Armani Luminous Silk Foundation in 7
Powder is MAC Mineralize Natural in Medium Golden
Brows are Anastasia Brow Wiz in Taupe
Three looks as follows:
- Top look: Tom Ford Soleil D’Hiver Quad, Megeve Glow Stick (both sides) blended, Apres Soleil Balm
- Middle look: Tom Ford Cream Powder Eye Duo in Reflection, Soleil Neige Glow Stick (both sides mixed), Paradiso Balm
- Bottom look: Tom Ford Soleil Neige Quad, Courchevel Glow Stick (both sides), Baie D’Hiver Balm

My top favorites are both the Fleur Neige and Reflection Cream Powder Duos, Soleil D’Hiver eyeshadow quad and both of the Glow Drops. The cream blush sticks are beautiful but I prefer powder products for better lasting power.

If I could do this spendy haul all over again I would have skipped all of the lip balms and glow sticks. They’re nice but not must-haves for me, especially since I usually find cream cheek products too creamy for Florida weather. As beautiful as the smokey quad is I don’t think it’s a must-have for me, although I was really curious about it and think performance and color-wise it’s really pretty!

A few notes on the other items in the collection that I did not haul: there is another eyeshadow quad Soleil Et Lune which looked so pretty in store, but it had only 1 shade I was interested in (the peachy one) and therefore wasn’t worth it for me to try out. I passed on the sparkling white balm as it didn’t really interest me. As a huge fan of the Soleil Blanc perfume I was eager to try the new Soleil Neige perfume and sprayed it on my wrists in store. It wasn’t really my cup of tea as I found it really powdery and it didn’t mesh well with my body chemistry. I might try it again next time I’m in store just to see .

You can find the Tom Ford Soleil Neige collection out now. Some pieces have sold out already at certain stores so you might have to shop around. I bought everything from Sephora and Nordstrom. Also available at Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdale’s, Saks Fifth Avenue, Macy’s and all other Tom Ford Beauty counters.

Have you checked out anything yet? What did you think?

23 Comments

Fenty Beauty Sephora

Fenty Beauty Minis Haul

October 21, 2019

Holiday sets are starting to catch my eye and the cutest ones I’ve seen are from Fenty Beauty! As a huge lover of the Gloss Bomb I immediately added the Glossy Posse Mini Gloss Bomb Set to cart along with some other new holiday launches. I’ve actually accumulated a few previous launches from the line in mini sizes but never did a full review. I think minis are such a fun way to try product before committing to the full size. I thought I’d do a roundup of all the minis I’ve hauled to date from Fenty.

For holiday:

Glossy Posse Mini Gloss Bomb Set ($42 for 5 x 5.5 ml glosses)
Mini Body Lava Body Luminizer ($24 for 1 fl oz) in Who Needs Clothes?!
Bomb Baby 2 Mini Gloss and Highlighter Set ($24) in Sweet Mouth and Sand Castle

From the regular lineup:

Bomb Baby Mini Gloss and Highlighter Set ($24) in Fenty Glow and Hustla Baby
Fly Baby Mini Eye Primer and Liner Set ($24)
Pro Filt’r Mini Instant Retouch Setting Powder ($18 for 0.27 oz) in Cashew

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Glossy Posse Mini Gloss Bomb Set

My favorite out of all the minis is the holiday Glossy Posse Mini Gloss Bomb Set which has 5 mini lip glosses in the most beautiful luminous smooth shimmers. These have a smooth cushiony texture that isn’t sticky. They’re semi-thick depending on how much you put on but it’s comfortable and lasting power is pretty good for a gloss. They are scented with a sweet candy cherry like scent which might be hit or miss depending on how much you can tolerate sweet scents. There’s no detectable taste as far as I can tell. These make the lips look full and lush, I love layering on top of a liner like Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk, Pat McGrath Done Undone, MAC Boldly Bare, MAC Stripdown or Kevyn Aucoin Minimal. The glosses are on the sheer side but have enough color to show up. Colors include:

Confetti is an opalescent glow
Fu$$y is a soft pink shimmer
Pretty Please is a bright sheer hot pink
Cheeky is a gorgeous sheer bright orange coral
Hot Chocolit is a shimmering sheer chocolate

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Mini Body Lava Body Luminizer

The Body Lava Body Luminizer had mixed reviews online. It has been on my list to try in store but everytime I go in there are so many other things that manage to distract me I never remember to try it. I decided to try the mini and it comes in one color option Who Needs Clothes?! which is a sheer rose gold but on my skin is more golden. The pros are it smells so amazing and gives the skin a beautiful shimmery sheen. It is quite sparkly but it’s really beautiful. The downside is pretty much a deal breaker for me to wear which is that it has a tacky sticky finish that never dries down. I tried applying to places on the body I thought would not come in contact with other things but it’s virtually impossible to do so. If they could reformulate this to have a better dry down I think it would be amazing.

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Bomb Baby Mini Gloss and Highlighter Sets

The first Bomb Baby Set has the classic Fenty Glow Gloss Bomb (universal warm rose shimmer) and 1/2 of one of their Killawatt Freestyle Highlighters in a mini called Hustla Baby (yellow champagne gold). There’s a new Bomb Baby 2 Mini Gloss and Highlighter Set with a new gloss shade called Sweet Mouth (pale pink shimmer) and Sand Castle (pulls silver metallic on me). Pigment on the highlighters is quite intense and they will show up on any skin tone with an almost blinding sheen. You can sheer it out for a more subtle glow but they are on the high shimmer side. I found both better on the eyes for my complexion. For the cheeks and my skin tone the Killawatt Highlighter in Afternoon Snack/Mo’ Honey is better suited for my coloring since it is deeper and not quite as contrasted in color with my skin.

Left is the Bomb Baby Set, right is Bomb Baby 2 Set:

Lip swatches:

I do think both are excellent and easy to wear. They’ll be super fun to wear for the upcoming holiday season.

A look at Bomb Baby 2 on Eyes and Lips:

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Pro Filt’r Mini Instant Retouch Setting Powder

The Pro Filter Loose Powder is something that immediately popped on my radar when it launched but after swatching it in store it seemed a bit dry and chalky. It has that talc/silica feel which does a great job at blurring but if you have any dry patches it ends up making the skin look even more dry. I bought the mini in Cashew but really would have a better match with Banana but it wasn’t available in the mini. I’ve used the mini numerous times over the past few months and can’t get consistent results. If have a well moisturized and creamy base the powder looks ok. If I have any matte finish base or dry patches the powder just doesn’t set right with my skin. The super matte effect makes my skin looked tired in an unflattering way sometimes. I didn’t like it enough to investigate the larger size or other shades.

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Fly Baby Mini Eye Primer and Liner Set

The minis always get me at checkout in store. I picked up the Fly Baby Mini Eye Set as an impulse buy and have mixed feelings. The Flyliner Longwear Liquid Liner provides a super deep satiny black line. I love the packaging and the applicator for an easy to apply precise line. I found that it stays wet longer than other liquid liners I have so it transfers if I open my eyes or blink right after applying it. With a primer the product sets faster but I still have to keep my eyes semi-shut for at least a minute for it to dry completely otherwise it smudges and never really fully sets. The Eye Primer is ok – it has a semi-sticky feel when I blend it on the lids but it does help powder shadow adhere well. I don’t think it’s essential or holy grail material but it was nice to try and it does work to help shadow stay on the lids longer. After I tried it though I discovered I had already bought the full size months ago and completely forgot about it!

Overall I’ve had some hits and misses. I think my absolute favorites from the line are the Gloss Bomb lip glosses. I hope they will add the new minis in full sizes eventually because I love the formula and new colors. I hauled everything from Sephora.

Have you tried any of the new holiday minis yet or anything else from the line? What are your hits or misses?

7 Comments

Chanel Lips

Chanel Rouge Allure Ink Fusion, Rouge Allure Ink + Le Rouge Duo Lip Haul

October 16, 2019

I have a new Chanel lip haul with a look at some of the newRouge Allure Ink Fusion colors, a new Rouge Allure Ink shade and additions to the Le Rouge Duo Ultra Tenue Gloss formula. I ordered everything sight unseen as the colors are currently only available at Chanel.com (coming to counters soon). I’m 100% thrilled with every single item and think there are some great additions for fall.

Chanel Rouge Allure Ink Fusion + New Shades of Rouge Allure Ink

I’ve never really been a fan of liquid lipsticks or the Chanel Rouge Allure Ink formula. I found the original formula looked great in hand swatches with so many gorgeous colors. On my lips the colors didn’t show up well and I found the finish too thin/streaky. I was willing to take some extra effort to make some of the colors work. The deeper/bold colors performed better but the neutrals were too sheer for me. The new Rouge Allure Ink Fusion is much MUCH better in terms of color payoff and pigment. It has similar packaging in the tube but the applicator is beveled. The new Rouge Allure Ink Fusion is more of a fluid liquid that dries to a matte finish. It’s lightweight and has a similar feel/effect to the NARS Powermatte Pigments, only the Chanel does not dry down or shrink like the NARS does.

I ordered four Rouge Allure Ink Fusion shades to try them out. Swatches are tricky with liquid lips for me since the dry down often darkens the color and they always look SO different on my lips compared to others who have lighter pigment in lips or a cooler complexion. The olive in my skin also makes them look completely different than what I’ve seen online for lighter skin girls so please take note your mileage may vary. Formula is lightweight, has no scent, dries down to a soft matte finish without making the lips look like they’ve shriveled.

802 Beige Naturel is a pale beige cream, on me this turned more neutral/peach and while on others I’ve seen it swatched on, it looks more yellow-beige. 804 Mauvy Nude is a cool toned mauve rose, also darkens on my lips but perfect for fall! 806 Pink Brown is more of a deeper brown-rose on me than a pink brown, also lovely for fall. 814 Coral Peach is a bright vibrant coral.

There are also some new additions to the regular Rouge Allure Ink lineup. There are some mattes and also new metallic finishes. I bought 216 Legerete which is the most beautiful rose pink color. The formula is still the same as the Rouge Allure Ink, slightly streaky but I can make it work. The color is beautiful!

Chanel Rouge Allure Ink Fusion vs Rouge Allure Ink applicator:

Swatches below:

Some comparison swatches, I didn’t find dupes but thought this lineup might help you compare and contrast how light/deep the colors are. The Rouge Allure Ink Fusion has a similar fluid texture and dry town to the NARS Powermatte. By comparison the newer Cle de Peau Radiant Liquid Rouge Mattes have a more whipped matte finish.

Three of the colors in full face looks, Chanel Rouge Allure Ink Fusion 802 Beige Naturel, for skintone reference I’m wearing Chanel Ultra Le Teint Velvet in B50:

804 Mauvy Nude:

Pink Brown 806

Le Rouge Duo Ultra Tenue – New Shades

Chanel also added some new colors of the Le Rouge Duo Ultra Tenue Gloss which I just rediscovered. They changed the packaging and formula a little while ago but I think it’s pretty much the same as the original. I picked 2 of the new colors in Intense Nude 152 which a gorgeous soft cool pink and Intense Caramel 154 which is a medium neutral beige. There is a liquid lipstick side that you apply all over the lips and then top with the gloss top coat. These are super long lasting and I think I need to check out more colors soon.

Since I’m a huge fan of neutrals I added other shades from my collection above and swatched below for reference. I have two other Le Rouge Duo Ultra Tenue colors in Merry Rose and Warm Beige alongside Rouge Coco Gloss neutrals in Caresse (discontinued), Caramel and Noce Moscata:

The new Le Rouge Duo Ultra Tenue Gloss in Intense Nude and Intense Caramel on the lips:

Full face look wearing Intense Nude:

Overall some solid wins and a successful haul. I wish Chanel would reformulate all the Rouge Allure Inks into the Rouge Allure Ink Fusion formula – I think it’s SO good!. Based on the color selection I think I would have also loved a plum color but for now am happy with the colors I bought. I may splurge on one more down the line once they hit counters and I can see them in person.

You can find the new Chanel lip launches available now at Chanel.com – I suspect they will be at counters soon in the US. Have you tried any of the new shades yet? What did you think?

6 Comments

Hourglass Cosmetics

Hourglass Ghost Holiday 2019 Collection Review

October 10, 2019

I hauled the four of the five items from the Hourglass Ghost Holiday 2019 Collection and have swatches of everything today. There are two new Ambient Lighting Palettes and they’re absolutely gorgeous but I have some mixed thoughts about them. Right now there are two Confession Lip Duos and I opted for the one with a neutral nude pink + plum. For the eyes Hourglass has a Scattered Light Trio with minis of their scattered light shadows (two repromotes and one new shade). Overall I find the launches easy to wear for my medium-tan skin, if you’re swatching in store note that the powders can look more glittery than they are in normal everyday lighting. The store lights emphasize the tiny sparkles and make them look like they could be a glitter bomb. Rest assured that while they are indeed glowy – both palettes are wearable for everyday even for those who are super conservative on the shimmer. In today’s post:

Ambient Lighting Edit Ghost Palette ($80)
Ghost Ambient Lighting Blush Quad ($58)
Ghost Confession Refillable Lipstick Duo ($36) I Cherish and You Inspire
Scattered Light Glitter Shadow Collection ($46) Ray, Foil and Molten

Hourglass Ghost Ambient Lighting Edit Palette

The Ambient Lighting Edit Ghost Palette has three repromotes and three new shades. I ended up loving it more than I thought I would, but I think at this point most of us can agree that we would like to see all new shades and more options for tan to deeper skin tones. I’m more on the tan side and find the colors show up well. The palette as a whole gives the skin a soft diffused glow. I really love the concept of Dim and Diffused Light as soft light reflecting setting powders but have always wanted those powders in darker color options. I was surprised to find that both still work for my tan skin to set and they did not make my face look chalky even though they are pale. Shades include:

Finishing Powder in Dim Light – pale peach pink with a satin shimmer
Finishing Powder in Diffused Light – ultra pale yellow finishing powder
Strobe Powder in Iridescent Strobe Light – pale shimmery pink
Bronzer in Eternal Bronze Light – the softest bronze I’ve seen from Hourglass, a satiny soft non-orangey bronze
Strobe Blush in Iridescent Rose – the prettiest iridescent healthy looking pink glow, I would LOVE this in a full size individual option
Blush in Sublime Flush – soft light-medium rose pink shimmer

Below wearing: Tom Ford Flawless Glow Foundation in 6.5 / Ambient Lighting Palette Ghost with Dim Light to set, Sublime Flush + Iridescent Rose on cheeks / Confession Lipstick in I Cherish

Application is smooth, soft, easy to blend and stays put all day. For the three new shades the Eternal Bronze Light bronzer is the most neutral soft bronze I’ve seen from Hourglass, it can double as a neutral contour. The Iridescent Rose is a beautiful shimmering rose it’s on the sparkly side with tiny gold flecks. Sublime Flush has a similar but paler/cooler compared to Surreal Effect (in the Ambient Quad and also in Surreal Light 2016). Overall I think it’s a beautiful palette complete for a full face look. I would give it 10 out of 10 stars if it did not have Dim/Diffused Light. They’ve repeated these shades in so many palettes and have them available individually, I would have really liked to see new colors.

Ghost Ambient Lighting Blush Quad

The Ghost Ambient Lighting Blush Quad is a new format which I really like! It’s small and more compact – I really like the concept. It’s still fairly expensive but I think the colors are gorgeous.

Blush in Surreal Effect is a repromote from the Surreal Light Palette 2016, it’s a medium soft pink shimmer swirled with a deeper magenta pink
Strobe Blush in Brilliant Nude is a repromote, available individually, this is a shimmering champagne swirled with a tan bronze sparkle
Strobe Blush in Lucid Glow is a shimmery coral swirled with a soft gold
Infinite Flush is a soft pink swirled with a mauve

Below I’ve swatched with a heavy hand to show the color but they apply sheerer on the face and blend out easily for a soft glow.

Wearing: Tom Ford Flawless Glow Foundation in 6.5 Sable / La Mer Pressed Powder in Medium / Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Quad with Lucid Glow + Brilliant Nude mixed / Urban Decay Naked Reloaded Palette / Hourglass Scattered Light in Foil / Hourglass Unreal Lip Gloss in Truth

I like Lucid Glow the best in this palette, I’m a sucker for any coral peach blush because I think it brightens up the complexion beautifully. The other shades are also lovely, I do like Brillant Nude for a nice highlight that isn’t your traditional pale champagne. Application is smooth and easy to layer/mix.

Ghost Confession Refillable Lipstick Duo

I bought the Confession Lip Duo as an impulse buy and kinda regret it mainly because I have similar colors already. The colors are beautiful and easy to wear though. I Cherish is a pretty nude pink and You Inspire is a beautiful deep plum that doesn’t turn red (a lot of plums look too red, blue or pull too vamp on my skin). I really have nothing to complain about as the colors are wearable, require no tweaking and glide on the lips beautifully. I feel like I could have definitely shopped my stash.

Wearing on the left: Tom Ford Flawless Glow Foundation in 6.5 / Ambient Lighting Palette Ghost with Dim Light to set, Sublime Flush + Iridescent Rose on cheeks / Hourglass Confession Lipstick in I Cherish

Wearing on the right: same base, on the cheeks Ambient Lighting Palette Ghost with just Eternal Bronze Light / Hourglass Confession Lipstick in You Inspire

Scattered Light Glitter Shadow Collection

The Scattered Light Trio has miniatures of the Scattered Light Eyeshadows. I already own two of them but did not mind having repeats as I plan on regifting the minis to friends. The trio shadows are smaller at 0.07 oz each versus the 0.12 oz of the full size. I don’t normally don’t mind minis but I like to apply these with my finger and found the smaller size a little bit tricky to stick my finger in without getting product under my nail. It’s not impossible and you can definitely get a brush in there. Foil is a beautiful gold shimmer, Ray is a sparkling taupe and Molten is a beautiful shimmering plum. I really wish they had Molten individually in the full size because that one is beautiful!

Other individual colors swatched here and here.

Below look wearing Scattered Light in Molten:

Overall I’m pleased with my haul picks. Quality-wise everything performs well. As irked as I am that the 6-pan palette has 1/2 repeats I think it is lovely and I do think it was worth the splurge. If I had to pick one palette between the two I think the 4-pan quad is the more unique option although I’m so smitten with that Iridescent Rose Strobe Blush in the 6-pan palette. The Confession Lipstick is among my favorite lipstick formula for a creamy opaque lipstick. Color-wise the new launches are very wearable but not unique.

I think the Scattered Light Trio is a nice way to try three shades at a more affordable price although I do prefer the individual larger sizes because I can apply them easier with my fingers. I also like picking my own colors. Out of all the colors I own I wear Blaze the most, followed by Ray these days.

You can find the Hourglass Holiday 2019 Ghost Collection out now. I hauled my picks from Nordstrom and Sephora. Also available at Hourglass Cosmetics.

Have you tried anything from the collection yet? I have some more holiday I’m working on including selects from NARS holiday and I just ordered most of Tom Ford Soleil Neige. There will also be some new lip posts coming up!

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Holiday Rouge Allure Shades

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Major Glow Lip Shine

Monochrome Moment: Silky Lip Creme and Precision Lip Crayon

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Blitz Astral Eyeshadow Quad Ritualistic Rose

Blitz Astral Eyeshadow Quad Ritualistic Rose Iconic Illumination

MatteTrance Lipsticks

Chromaluxe Hi-Lite Cream

Tom Ford Beauty Soleil Neige Collection

Soleil Neige Eyeshadow Quads

Cream and Powder Duos

Soleil Neige Complexion/Face

Lip Balms

Fenty Beauty Minis Haul

Glossy Posse Mini Gloss Bomb Set

Mini Body Lava Body Luminizer

Bomb Baby Mini Gloss and Highlighter Sets

Pro Filt’r Mini Instant Retouch Setting Powder

Fly Baby Mini Eye Primer and Liner Set

Chanel Rouge Allure Ink Fusion, Rouge Allure Ink + Le Rouge Duo Lip Haul

Chanel Rouge Allure Ink Fusion + New Shades of Rouge Allure Ink

Le Rouge Duo Ultra Tenue – New Shades

Hourglass Ghost Holiday 2019 Collection Review

Hourglass Ghost Ambient Lighting Edit Palette

Ghost Ambient Lighting Blush Quad

Ghost Confession Refillable Lipstick Duo

Scattered Light Glitter Shadow Collection

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