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Favorite Perfumes for Summer

June 12, 2019

Summer is almost here and today I’m rounding up my favorite perfumes perfect for the upcoming season. We are lucky to have warm weather most of the year but perfume is definitely seasonal with different months. I love this time of year when we’re transitioning from spring to full on summer. The heat is rising and there are so many scents that I love for warm weather. For me there are everyday summer perfumes and then there are summer perfumes that make you feel like you’re on vacation. I’m focusing more on the everyday ones for this round up but will list a few vacation vibe scents at the bottom of the post too. As always I’d love to hear about what you’re wearing right now!

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Tom Ford

Above: Daily Edited Large Cosmetic Case / Diptyque Large Outdoor Candle recycled

I would say that my most-worn perfumes recently are the ones from Tom Ford. I think he’s best known for the deeper rich and spicy ones, but my personal favorites are the lighter options. Soleil Blanc and Eau de Soleil Blanc have been must-haves for me for years now. Both are white florals that perfect fresh summery vibe. I also really love White Suede layered with either of the Soleil Blanc perfumes for a softer vibe. All the Tom Ford perfumes are available in multiple sizes, I’ve listed the ones I have below. I love that more of these are now coming in individual travel size sprays so I can carry them in my purse!

Soleil Blanc Eau de Parfum ($148 for 50 ml, also available in a .33 oz travel spray) is the perfect white floral! I carry the travel spray with me almost everywhere I go.
- Notes include bergamot, cardamom oil Orpur, pistachio accord, ylang-ylang Comores Islands, benzoin extract Orpur, coco de mer accord
Eau de Soleil Blanc ($125 for 50 ml, 10 ml travel size here) is a brighter more citrus version that has a little more warmth with more noticeable amber and it’s not quite as strong on the floral notes as the original, both smell really similar
- Notes include Vert de bergamot, orange bitter Orpur, petitgrain bigrade Orpur, ylang-ylang, pistachio accord, coco de mer accord
White Suede* ($235 for 50 ml) is one of the few soft musk perfumes I can wear that don’t turn on my skin, I love the way this mixes with the white florals. It’s a soft clean and warm kind of scent. The clear bottle is exclusive to Neiman Marcus but you can find it in the traditional brown at all other counters.
- Notes include saffron, thyme, mate, suede, olibanum, musk
Runner ups from past: Sole di Positano, Fleur de Portofino, Neroli Portofino Acqua

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Byredo

Above: Tray West Elm /On the nails Essie Topless and Barefoot

Byredo has some of the longest lasting perfumes I’ve tried. Sometimes I notice my nose gets used the scent quickly and they seem to fade, but anytime I wear these, I get compliments and questions even hours after I’ve first applied. Andrew also notices them late in the day. I know purchasing a fragrance in person isn’t always possible (even if it’s the best way to buy them). In the event you don’t have a Byredo counter near you to smell, they have a La Selection Set with six minis which are a nice way to sample the scents. There are a number of trios available as well.

Blanche ($175 for 1.7 oz, shown is the .4 oz available in this trio) is a floral that has a mix of aldehyde and violet, it has floral notes with noticeable white rose and a hint of musk. It almost has a clean linen feel.
- Notes include aldehyde, pink pepper, white rose, neroli, peony, violet, blonde woods, musk and sandalwood
Mojave Ghost ($175 for 1.7 oz) is the most unique fragrance I’ve ever smelled. It’s a soft fruity floral with violet and magnolia. There is a mix of musk, sandalwood and amber to give it a little warmth.
- Notes include ambrette, Jamaican nesberry, violet, sandalwood, magnolia, chantilly musk, crisp amber, cedarwood
La Tulipe ($175 for 1.7 oz) is one of the scents I get the most compliments on! This is clean floral with noticeable freesia.
- Notes include:<rhubarb, cyclamen, freesia, tulip, blonde woods and vetiver/li>
Rose Rinse Free Hand Wash ($35 for 1 fl oz) makes for a super fancy hand sanitizer, it has a beautiful soft rose scent with pink pepper and raspberry notes mixed in
- Notes includepink pepper, raspberry, rose petals, magnolia, exotic patchouli, white musks

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Jo Malone

Above: Bobbi Brown Crushed Liquid Lip Lychee Baby / bracelet Celine

Jo Malone was one of the first perfume lines I started using when I got into perfume. I think they make so many beautiful florals! Unfortunately most of my favorites have been discontinued or were limited-editions. I was so sad when they pulled French Lime Blossom and RIP Vanilla Anise. They used to have a pretty one called Sweet Milk which was such a unique one. I feel like perfume should never be limited-edition or discontinued, it’s so sad to find one you really love and then not be able to buy it when it’s used up! The same thing goes for foundation – all my HOLY grail foundations are now no longer made. The one I love right now for summer is Basil and Neroli, it doesn’t smell like basil at all!

Basil and Neroli ($68 for 1 oz) is the perfect neroli scent, it’s a fresh and fun lively kind of perfume. Andrew likes this one on me.
- Notes include basil grand vert, neroli and white musk

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Chanel

Above: Simplehuman Mirror / Tray / CC Cream swatches / Perle de Corail Le Vernis swatches

Chanel has so many classic perfumes but the Les Eaux de Chanel line stole my heart when they launched last year. These are Eau de Toilettes and are lightweight in feel. They give more of a splash of scent rather than a super long-lasting potent perfume. Living in humidity and heat makes the lightweight feel perfect for me. They launched three Eau de Toilettes last year first Paris-Biarritz, Paris-Venise and Paris-Deauville ($130 each for 4.2 fl oz). Shower gels and body lotions followed for each. I have not yet tried the body products, I’m worried I’ll fall in love and my wallet will hate me for it.

I’m thrilled to let you know that the three originals are now available in a 1.7 fl oz travel size individually for $80 each or as a trio in Le Voyage Set ($240 this one comes with a cute pouch). I ordered the mini of my favorite Paris-Biarritz the second it launched online. Right now the minis are available only at Chanel.com. The minis have a spritzer spray too! I feel like I had seen images of the minis for the European and Asian websites – I’m so happy they’re now available in the US.

Les Eaux de Chanel Paris-Biarritz ($80 to $130) is my favorite of the three original ones. It’s perfect for the citrus scent lover. It has notes of Sicilian Mandarin and Lily of the Valley. It has a very soft almost garden like feel to it. It’s refreshing and bright!

This past week they just launched a fourth scent Paris-Riviera* which is lovely for those who love citrus scents. This one has vacation spa resort like vibes. It’s sweeter and a little more juicy the Paris-Biarritz.

Les Eaux de Chanel Paris-Riviera* ($130 for 4.2 oz) comes in one size right now. I asked if there were plans to add more body products or a travel size and they don’t have any information right now. It takes me away to a place where I feel like I’m away at a spa.

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That wraps up my favorites right now. I rotate frequently! Top three favorites right now are the new Chanel Paris-Riviera, Tom Ford Eau de Soleil Blanc and Byredo La Tulipe. Runner ups for perfumes that smell like a summer vacation include Replica Beach Walk, Creed Virgin Island Water and Bobbi Brown Beach. But for now I’ve had the ones in this roundup in my spring to summer rotation.

What are you favorite summertime perfumes? Do you change things by season or do you have something you wear year round?

Press samples include Tom Ford White Suede, Chanel Les Eaux de Chanel in Paris-Biarritz (full size) and Paris-Riviera (full size). Others purchased by me.

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Lips Pat McGrath Labs

Pat McGrath Labs BlitzTrance Lipstick New Shades for Summer

June 10, 2019

This summer Pat McGrath Labs brings us nine new shades of BlitzTrance Lipstick ($38 each for 3.9 g/0.13 oz, made in USA). These new summer colors have a different finish and formula compared to her original holiday BlitzTrance Lipsticks last year. The original ones had an intense sparkle finish with bold colors. This month’s release has the same name “BlitzTrance” but the finish is more of a smooth refined satiny shimmer creme. These new summer BlitzTrance colors are everyday kinds of colors and every single one is phenomenal. You can find them now at PatMcGrath.com.

The summer BlitzTrance has medium to full coverage. They have a soft creme feel and the shimmer has an almost velvety dry down look to them. There’s a shimmer and sheen to them but they’re not really glossy in finish like I expected. They adhere well to the lips, there’s no detectable scent, application is smooth without any tugging. With a few of the shades I could feel a tiny bit of texture from the shimmer applying to the lips, but once on the lips they feel 100% smooth. Lasting power is excellent – there is no sliding around and I did not need a lip liner to help the color stay in place.

There are nine colors in this launch. The range has 5 very similar neutral nude-pinks, 1 nineties brown-rose, 1 plum, 1 red and 1 coral rose. At first glance the neutrals look remarkably similar. Even on the arm they look close. After lip-swatching them though I can see the differences are in undertone which I can really appreciate because finding the perfect neutral nude pink can vary so much depending on skin and lip tone. For example a few of my red hair friends look amazing in MAC Twig and Spirit lipsticks. Both look like great neutrals on my hand but on my complexion make me look like I’m 100% dead. Charlotte Tilbury’s Pillow Talk is one of my favorite neutral rose lipsticks but a number of you find it too cool/dusty looking on your lips and complexion. Finding a perfect “neutral” truly depends on so many things!

Close ups, descriptions and swatches:

Skin Flixx, Naked Kiss, Lady Stardust
Skinsane, Full Fantasy, Love Train
Flesh3, Blood Rush and Emmanuelle

Descriptions as I see them, quick note that the shimmer is more visible in the lip swatches:

Skin Flixx is a neutral warm rose pink neutral with a satiny shimmer
Naked Kiss is the lightest one but not pale, this is a light peach pink with gold pearl
Lady Stardust is a medium neutral-cool rose pink nude pearl, pulls more blue toned compared to the others
Skinsane is a neutral medium pink-beige with a slight hint of pink (looks almost identical to Naked Kiss on me, Skinsane is just a little deeper)
Full Fantasy is a warmer neutral nude peach pink shimmer
Love Train is a perfect plum shimmer
Flesh3 is a brown rose shimmer, almost like a brick shimmer
Blood Rush is a bold classic red with shimmer
Emmanuelle is a pretty coral rose with a metallic sheen

All swatched on bare lips, for skin tone reference I’m wearing Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Foundation in Buff (equivalent of Tom Ford Soleil Glow Natural and MAC Studio Fix in NC35):

Details shots below, starting with Skin Flixx:

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Naked Kiss

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Lady Stardust

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Skinsane

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Full Fantasy

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Love Train

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Flesh 3

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Blood Rush

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Emmanuelle

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We are in the midst of packing for another move so I only pulled a couple to compare. Overall the BlitzTrance neutrals run lighter and almost brighter compared to her LuxeTrance and MatteTrance neutrals. I have one in LuxeTrance Realness swatched below. I also have Tom Ford Lip Color in Autoerotique and Spanish Pink side by side. I included both of the neutral-ish ones from the original BlitzTrance launch as well:

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Two full-face looks with Emmanuelle (left) and Blood Rush (right), also wearing:

Foundation is Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion in Buff
Powder is MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Golden
Brows are Anastasia Brow Wiz in Caramel
Eyeshadow is Chanel Les 4 Ombres in Lueurs Ambrees
Eyeliner is Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof in Brun Agape
Top from Free People
Cheeks/lips:
- Left is Pat McGrath BlitzTrance in Emmanuelle and Charlotte Tilbury Lightgasm Palette
- Right is Pat McGrath BlitzTrance in Blood Rush with CoverFX Monochromatic Blush Duo in Warm Honey

Overall the formula is excellent across the board. Colors wear well and apply perfectly. I can get full coverage with one swipe and even after doing 9 lip swatches in a row my lips have not peeled or dried out. They’re not hydrating but at the same time they don’t dry out my lips which is a huge plus. If there is one thing I think is a little confusing, it’s the name. I think the new summer formula is different enough from the holiday launch to justify a different product name, but BlitzTrance still suits it. The new summer formula is a lot more wearable compared to the holiday colors. Summer ones have a beautiful reflective quality that shines as the light hits your lips from different angles. Even though the neutrals look remarkably close I can appreciate that they launched variations with different undertones to suit different skin and lip colors.

I think they’re all really perfect but my favorites are Skinsane, Love Train and Emmanuelle.

You can find the new Summer BlitzTrance Lipsticks out now online at Pat McGrath Labs. As usual you can shop these in bundles and lip kits on her website which give a nice price break.

Have you tried these yet? Are any on your radar?

BlitzTrance provided courtesy of Pat McGrath Labs for review.

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Chanel Eye Makeup

Chanel New Eye Collection Review + Swatches

June 3, 2019

Chanel recently launched The New Eye Collection with four color themes for eyeshadows, liners and tinted mascaras. The texture and pigment of the four Les 4 Ombres Eyeshadows are really quite phenomenal. For those who feel like they want a non-neutral eye color but don’t want something with high shimmer or super warm tones, this collection offers some nice alternatives. I also just saw they released a new Eyelash Curler so I picked that up to round out the collection review.

I have all four quads, five eyeliners, four mascaras plus the curler reviewed. There may be some additional liners in the collection (new and repromotes) as well. In today’s post:

Les 4 Ombres ($62 each for 2 g/0.07 oz) in Blurry Mauve, Blurry Green, Blurry Grey and Blurry Blue
Le Volume Revolution de Chanel ($35 each for 6 g/0.21 oz) in Deep Eros, Jungle Green, Volcan and Intense Teal
Stylo Yeux Waterproof ($33 each for 0.30 g/0.01 oz) in Brun Agape, Jungle Green, Black Wood, Noir Engimatique and Intense Teal
Le Recourbe Cils de Chanel Eyelash Curler ($30, made in Japan), comes with 2 refill pads

Some quick notes on the formulas before I go into the color themes. Formulas across the board are consistent in pigment, color payoff, lasting power and blendability. The Les 4 Ombres seem to be a significant improvement over previous years’ quads. The mattes are almost creamy to the touch, they’re super soft and easy to blend for a soft smokey look. The shimmers also have a very soft feel to them and adhere well to the skin. Lasting power is very good with better pigment compared to older quads. The Stylo Yeux Wateproof Eyeliners are all smooth in texture (these are twist up liners with a removeable sharpener at the base). In the past this formula has been hit or miss, some have had tugging issues for me. This launch every color is smooth, easy to blend and layer in a feathering motion and there was no tugging. The Le Volume Revolution de Chanel Mascaras offer nice volume without any clumping or smudging. The color is subtle on me once it dries down. Color darkens once it dries on my black lashes, but it is a nice change from the traditional black or brown.

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Blurry Mauve

I’m starting with my favorite color theme of the four with the Blurry Mauve theme. This color theme reminds me a little of the Rouge Noir liners they’ve launched in the past but the red is more muted and color theme has a blurred greyed kind of mix for a more neutral tone. The overall look is a beautiful smokey mauve plum which I think is the easiest for me to wear:

Les 4 Ombres in Blurry Mauve has a satiny matte mauve plum, a shimmering taupe plum, a matte deep wine and a soft mauve matte
Stylo Yeux Waterproof in Brun Agape is the perfect shimmery plum-red shimmer liner
Le Volume Revolution in Deep Eros is a deep wine colored mascara
Note the website lists 928 Eros as another liner for the color theme, I have not seen it or tried it yet though.

Below wearing Blurry Mauve (all 4 shades), Brun Agape and Deep Eros, also wearing:

Chanel Les Beiges Tint in Medium Plus
Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Powder in Medium
Chanel Powder Blush in Golden Sun
Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet Extreme in Modern* (swatches here)
Chanel Rouge Coco Gloss in 119* (swatches here)
Chanel Duo Bronzer Et Lumiere in Clair* (both shades to blend/highlight the eye brow area, swatches here)
Tee by Reformation
Nail Polish is OPI Tiramisu for Two

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Blurry Green

My second favorite is the Blurry Green collection which is huge for me as I’m not a green fan. This palette has two olive/green tones with a mix of golden sandy brown shimmers to neutralize the color. I think I can wear this color palette year round but it seems like it’s going to be the perfect fall palette. Lasting power was excellent – it stayed put all day over the weekend from morning to evening, lasted through the heat!

Les 4 Ombres in Blurry Green has a metallic golden sand, a shimmery olive, a shimmery sage green and a shimmery deeper soft brown, this is the most shimmery of the four but isn’t overly frosted. Colors layer beautifully together for a soft smokey olive eye.
Stylo Yeux Waterproof in Jungle Green is the prettiest forest green shimmer eyeliner I’ve seen in a long time. It has a really pretty deep finish on the eyes (swatches better on the eye than my arm).
Le Volume Revolution de Chanel in in Jungle Green is a dark forest green mascara. It almost has a metallic sheen to it but once it dries down looks like a deep blackened green.

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Blurry Grey

The Blurry Grey theme has an interesting twist on the traditional black/white/grey smokey eye palette. The colors pull warmer on the skin compared to what you see in the palette. Overall look on my olive/medium/golden skin is still neutral cool which makes it easier to wear than most smokey eye palettes. Colors are soft and blurred for a nice date-night eye:

Les 4 Ombres in Blurry Grey has a soft blue-grey matte, a soft blurred deep charcoal, a neutral warm almost plum smokey, a shimmery soft silvery
Stylo Yeux Wateproof in in Noir Engimatique is a shimmery cool black and Black Wood is a more neutral soft washed black liner
Le Volume Revolution de Chanel in Volcan is described as a grey, but it’s pretty much a soft black on the lashes

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Blurry Blue

Last is the Blurry Blue themed collection which I think has a more wearable color palette for blues compared to the more trendy blue and teal colors out there. I cannot pull off teals or blue shades on my eyes, at best I can wear navy. Still the quality is excellent and I think the teal mascara is fun (still subtle but fun). This gives a really pretty blurred out grey-blue eye look, I just didn’t like the blue tones on my skin from the shadow, the liner and mascara are really fun though!

Les 4 Ombres in Blurry Blue has some blue grey tones with a matte grey, a cool gunmetal grey satin, a deep teal and a soft dove grey matte, colors are smooth and easy to blend.
Stylo Yeux in Intense Teal is a bold teal shimmer, once on the eyes it looks deeper/darker and not as bright.
Le Volume Revolution de Chanel in Intense Teal is a deep teal with a subtle effect on the lashes.

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Lash Curler

Last but not least is the new Chanel Lash Curler. They discontinued the black lacquered one many years ago. As soon as I found out it was being pulled I stocked up and have been relying on my backups. This new one is silver and made in Japan. It comes with two extra refill pads. A number of you asked how this compares to Shiseido and Shu Uemura. It’s been a long time since I’ve used either so I can’t compare, these days my top go-to’s have been the older Chanel curler, MAC’s Eyelash Curler and Charlotte Tilbury’s. This new one from Chanel performed well, it looks almost identical in shape and size to the older version, just silver. The curler does seem to be slightly more flattened. Overall performance is excellent and I’m really happy with it.

That wraps up the review + swatches of the New Eye Collection. I think it has excellent formulas for those who want an alternative to the black/silver/grey smokey eye. My favorite is Blurry Mauve, for fall I think I’ll be reaching for Blurry Green more. Quality and pigment is really nice and easy to wear. If you want something simple and easy to wear (versus the palettes that have 10+ colors) these quads are perfect.

You can find the Chanel New Eye Collection at Chanel.com now. Their website and boutique had the early exclusive for the launch, but they will also available at all Chanel counters and retailers.

Have you checked out these launches yet? If yes what did you think?

Chanel Eye Collection provided courtesy of Chanel Beauty for review. Eyelash curler purchased by me.

22 Comments

Natasha Denona

Natasha Denona Tan Bronze and Glow Palette Review

May 29, 2019

Natasha Denona recently launched her Tan Bronze and Glow Palette ($55) and it’s summer perfection! It was an easy decision to order sight unseen. She has the best tutorials and sneak peeks on her Instagram page. I think her product reveals are super fun to watch as well. This is a four pan compact with creams and powders. The texture is excellent for the different formulas, pigment is smooth and easy to apply. It has the prettiest finish with phenomenal lasting power. For those who don’t like glitter this one is a win as it has no glitter in it. I think it will suit a wide range of skin tones.

The Tan Bronze and Glow compact is the same size and design as her Bloom and Blush Palette (which I still adore). I really like this size because it’s easy to travel with and also easy to hold. The Tan Bronze and Glow Palette has a similar clear protector over the creams shades so the powder debris doesn’t cross over into the pans.

Colors and formulas in this palette include:

Glow Cream Base is the perfect neutral champagne tan shimmer, looks ultra natural on the skin, I wish she made this this in a full size option!
Super Glow is a shimmery gel powder which has a yellow peach gold metallic sheen
Blush and Bronze Powder is a warm bronze matte with pink tones
Glow Impact Powder is a metallic pale gold

Colors will differ depending on how light or deep your skin tone is. If you’re fair to light colors will show up more bronzey/golden and if you’re deep colors will contrast more with your skin to look paler. On my medium skin this adds a beautiful bronze and glow in the best way ever.

Swatch comparisons to a few other products including the Chanel Duo Bronze Et Lumiere in Medium and Tom Ford Skin Illuminating Duo in Flicker (new, review soon):

Also swatched next to the Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze and Glow duos:

Makeup look wearing:

Rodin Luxury Face Cream* all over (review soon)
Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Instant Retouch Primer
Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation 235
Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Instant Retouch Concealer 235
Hourglass Veil Translucent Setting Powder*
Chanel Les Beiges Les Indispensables Eye Palette* (review + swatches here)
L’Oreal Infallible Pro-Last Waterproof Pencil Eyeliner in Brown
L’Oreal Lash Paradise Primer + Lash Paradise Mascara
L’Oreal Rouge Signature Matte High Pigment Lightweight Lip Ink in I Empower + Charlotte Tilbury Lip Collagen in Peachy Plump on top
Nail Polish is OPI Samoan Sand
Natasha Denona Tan Bronze and Glow Palette, all four shades
Tank from Re/Done (recommend going at least 2 sizes up from your normal size, I’m wearing a Medium)

You can use any brush from your collection to apply the powders. I used the Wayne Goss Air Brush, MAC 168S Angled Contour Brush and also the Laura Mercier Fan Brush when testing this.

Overall a really pretty option for summer and even with all the other bronzer and highlighter options for me it’s a must-have. You can wear on both eyes and cheeks. It gives the perfect soft bronze and glow in one. I love layering all the shades together but you can mix and match with your other blushes or just wear a couple of the colors. Lasting power was really good and it stayed put without budging all day. I love that it has a matte shade alongside shimmers.

I bought mine at Sephora. Also available at Beautylish. Have you tried this one yet? What did you think?

13 Comments

Eye Makeup Tom Ford Beauty

New Tom Ford Eye Color Quads Body Heat, Double Indemnity, Suspicion + Emotionproof Picks

May 21, 2019

Tom Ford Beauty launched new eye makeup with three new Eye Color Quads and a long-wear collection called Emotionproof. I have a look at the three new quads, two of the cream shadows and the new mascara.

Eye Color Quads ($88 each for .21 oz/6 g) in Body Heat*, Double Indemnity and Suspicion
Emotionproof Mascara ($46 for 8 ml)
Emotionproof Eye Color ($46 for .24 oz/7 g) in Brut Rose and Casino

New Eye Color Quads

Tom Ford launched three new Eye Color Quads in Body Heat*, Double Indemnity and Suspicion. I was surprised three new ones popped up since he launched seven late last year. In case you missed it you can see the seven here. For those not familiar to Tom Ford Beauty, there are several different formulas of his shadows. The three new ones have that metallic stiff texture similar to Nude Dip, Honeymoon, Virgin Orchid and Daydream. They’re still powders but have an almost foiled sheen to them.

The three new palettes are a lot more wearable for my medium-tan warm olive complexion. I’m really loving both Body Heat and Suspicion for something a little more fun than your standard everyday neutral.

Body Heat

Body Heat has a shimmering pale rose, shimmering soft reddish rose, medium shimmery coffee brown, shimmery deeper brown. The two browns are very close to my eye, the deepest one does work to intensify the look and is slightly cooler toned. I think this palette goes well with a soft rose or pink lip. Application is smooth, pigment blends and layers beautifully, lasting power is excellent.

Double Indemnity

Double Indemnity is one of the best smokey eye palettes I’ve seen. Most traditional smokey palettes are too cool-toned with silvers and greys. This has a unique mix which makes it more wearable for my olive skin. It has a pale shimmering icy white, a shimmering silver with a hint of sage, shimmery smokey cool brown and a black with silver flecks.

Suspicion

Suspicion has the golden tones that I pretty much live for. It does pull a little yellow and the orangey-gold is pretty vivid. When you layer all the colors together it neutralizes the yellow a little for a more neutral warm gold sheen. This one is the most metallic of the three. If you can’t wear ultra metallic shades you might want to pass on this one and I’d recommend you opt for either Chanel Lueurs Ambrees (so pretty) or the Pat McGrath Sublime Bronze Ambition (for more variety in colors at a better price point)

Comparison swatches to other Tom Ford quads:

Tom Ford Nude Dip, Body Heat, Honeymoon
Titanium Smoke, Double Indemnity, Supernouveau
Golden Mink, Suspicion, Leopard Sun

Looks with each of the three palettes, for skintone reference I wear the Tom Ford Traceless Perfecting Foundation in Natural (usually around MAC NC35):

Look 1: Tom Ford Body Heat, wearing Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution in Pillow Talk with Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb in Fussy
Look 2: Double Indemnity, wearing Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb in Fenty Glow
Look 3: Suspicion, wearing Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution in Sexy Sienna with Lip Lustre in Blondie on top

Three Beauty Looks

Emotionproof Mascara

There’s a new Emotionproof Mascara which seems to have replaced my holy grail Waterproof Extreme. To me they perform the same – it adds volume, holds the curl, does not smudge. The only difference is Emotionproof tends to clump on the brush very quickly after a couple uses. I’m used to some level of clumping with mascara on the brush as it picks up product. I wish the interior had some kind of design to wipe off product a little better. Still anything that won’t smudge and that holds the curl is a winner in my book. I can just clean off the wand every 4 uses or so.

Emotionproof Eye Colors

Last I bought two of the Emotionproof Eye Colors in Brut Rose and Casino. I’ll start with the pros: both shades I bought are really pretty and easy to wear. They set pretty quickly and once they do set they don’t budge. Cons: everyone seems to say these are like overpriced MAC Paint Pots and I pretty much agree. I think they’re nice if you want a long lasting budge-proof cream shadow. However since they dry so fast you have to blend and apply quickly – once they set, layering more cream on tends to make it look streaky and dry. I don’t think they’re horrible like some reviews have said, but I definitely don’t think they’re anything special or splurge-worthy unless you absolutely love the colors. I think Brut Rose is really pretty but it seems pretty dupeable.

Swatch comparisons to Laura Mercier Caviar Chrome Eye Stick in Magnetic Pink, By Terry Ombre Blackstar in Frozen Quartz, Laura Mericer Caviar Eye Stick in Burnished Bronze and Charlotte Tilbury Eyes to Mesmerize in Mona Lisa

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Overall loving the new quads the most. Based on what I’ve seen from other Tom Ford quads you can find some similar options among different palettes. I really like the look of Body Heat the best. If you want more variety and color range within a single palette but still like shimmer finishes I think you’ll find more of a diverse options within a compact by trying out the Pat McGrath palettes. I think the new Emotionproof Mascara is good, but part of me thinks it’s just Waterproof Extreme with a slightly different tube (because of the clumping issue) and different name.

You can find the new Tom Ford Eye Products out now. I bought mine from Sephora and Nordstrom. Also available at Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdale’s, Beautylish and Saks Fifth Avenue.

Body Heat sent as a press sample. Other items purchased by me.

7 Comments

Hourglass Cosmetics Lips

Hourglass Unreal High Shine Volumizing Lip Gloss Review

May 17, 2019

Hourglass launched their new Unreal High Shine Volumizing Lip Gloss ($30 each for 0.20 oz/ 5.6 g) in 18 shades. I hauled 11 of them during last month’s Sephora Beauty Insider Event. I’ve really loved all things Hourglass for so many years I felt like these could possibly be holy grail material. After testing these for a week I think they’re really beautiful and definitely worth looking into.

The Unreal Lip Gloss is a plumping lip gloss with medium to full coverage. Creams tend to be more opaque and for me the shimmers I tried are medium-sheer. The glosses are hydrating and have a nice smooth feel to them. There is a soft minty scent and slight cooling sensation when you apply. The plumping effect is noticeable after it sets for a few minutes and as one who has ultra sensitive lips I’m thrilled to report there is no tingle and no stinging. I can still feel them plumping my lips but it’s in a gentle way. Since these are hydrating and lush they aren’t weightless. At the same time they aren’t super heavy even though they do have a semi-thick lush feel.

Color selection right now for the most part runs on the neutral side with a few bolder options. The finishes range from creams, shimmers and sparkles. Pigment is medium to me for most of the shades but you can layer for a more opaque finish. As mentioned above the shimmer sparkly options tend to be a bit more transparent (except the plum one).

I initially bought 5 and loved them so much I quickly ordered more to take advantage of the discount last month. At $30 each they are pricey but I’m happy with all the colors except two of them. These come with a flattened sponge tip applicator which makes for easy application. I like that they’re sturdy vs flexible. Sometimes the bendy wands make it hard to get gloss on my lips.

A closer look:

The colors I bought with descriptions below:

Ignite is a sheer shimmer with gold, this is the only one I didn’t like, it’s too sheer to have any color payoff on my lips so it’s basically clear, if you want a similar color to what you see in the tube I think Charlotte Tilbury Ibiza Nights is a much better option
Child is pale peach cream, this one applied streaky on my pigmented lips, I can blend to smooth out, but for me it’s a tad too pale
Provoke is the most beautiful neutral cool mauve nude, most colors like this look like death on me, this one works perfectly!
Sublime is what I envisioned Child to look like, it’s a much better neutral peach pink nude
Truth is a medium beige nude
Canvas is a nude beige rose, this is really similar to Truth, on me they’re so close I can barely tell the difference
Prose is a baby rose pink cream
Cosmic is a sparkling sheer pink fuchsia glitter, this is smooth without any gritty texture, I think this is one of the more fun shades
Fortune is a pink gold shimmer
Horizon is a perfect coral cream
Impact is a shimmering berry plum sparkle

Swatches:

Lip Swatches, as usual all done on bare lips:

A few full face looks wearing:

Foundation – Hourglass Vanish Seamless Foundation in Nude (review here)
Powder – Hourglass Veil Translucent Setting Powder
Bronzer – Hourglass Ambient Lighting Bronzer in Nude Bronze Light (swatches here)
Blush – Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Luminous Flush
Brow – Hourglass Arch Brow Gel in Soft Brunette
Eyeshadow – Charlotte Tilbury Luxury Palette in The Dolce Vita + Hourglass Scattered Light in Blaze
Lips – Unreal Lip Gloss in Horizon, Prose and Child

With Horizon Lip Gloss:

Below With Prose Lip Gloss

Last one with Child Lip Gloss:

A number of you wanted to know how these compared to my favorite Pat McGrath LUST Gloss (review and lip swatches here and here) and Fenty Beauty Gloss Bombs (all three worn in this post). Both of these formulas have a softer more cushiony feel. They also run sheerer. The Hourglass Unreal by comparison doesn’t quite have that same soft feel but are still glossy and smooth. The pigment is richer and more opaque with the Hourglass shades as well. All formulas are really nice. I’ve swatched some of the Pat McGrath LUST glosses next to similar colors of the Hourglass options.

I cannot decide which of the three is best. All are excellent for different reasons. I love the Fenty Beauty Gloss Bombs for their lush sheer shimmery glow. The Pat McGrath LUST Glosses have been among my favorite for color selection and formula. Hourglass is more opaque but some of the colors settle into my natural lip lines (this is also the case with some Pat McGrath colors).

If I had to live with just one gloss formula the rest of my life though, right now I’d have to go with the Pat McGrath LUST Gloss. That being said a number of you felt they were too sheer for your liking so if that’s the case then you’ll most likely be happier with the finish of the Hourglass Unreal.

Overall thumbs up. I think they’re beautiful glosses although I don’t know that I would call them truly innovative like their description suggests. To me truly innovative life changing products are more along things like the Hourglass Scattered Light Shadows, Pat McGrath MatteTrance Lipsticks and Charlotte Tilbury’s Flawless Filter. Still the Hourglass Unreal Lip Glosses are really nice and well made. I’m thrilled to find a nice plumping gloss that doesn’t have a tingle or sting. My top three favorite colors are Horizon, Fortune and Canvas. If I could do the haul over again I’d skip Ignite and Child and would also pick either Canvas (slightly more pink) or Truth (more beige) but not both.

You can find the Hourglass Unreal High Shine Volumizing Lip Glosses out now. Available at Sephora, Nordstrom, Hourglass Cosmetics and all other Hourglass retailers.

Have you tried these yet? What did you think?

20 Comments

Chanel

Chanel Cruise 2019 Collection Lumiere Et Contraste

May 15, 2019

The Chanel Cruise Collection for 2019 is called Lumiere Et Contraste and just launched at Chanel.com. There are some stunning pieces for the eyes, lips and cheeks designed to give a luminous radiant glow. Swatches, thoughts + a couple makeup looks featuring the new pieces in today’s post. The collection includes:

Le Vernis Nail Color ($28 each) in Afterglow, Open Air and Purple Ray
Rouge Coco Flash ($38 each) in Lumiere and Contraste
Rouge Coco Gloss ($30 each) in Fraicheur 818 and Aurora 822
Le Rouge Duo Ultra Tenue ($38) in Warm Beige
Les 4 Ombres Eyeshadow Quad ($65) in Lumieres Naturelles
Stylo Ombre Et Contour ($34 each) in Pure Flesh, Metallic Flash and Vague
Ombre Premiere Gloss ($36 each) in Lunaire and Solaire
Duo Bronze Et Lumiere ($70 each) in Clair and Medium

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Le Vernis Nail Color

There are three new Le Vernis Nail Colors that have that pretty light and airy kind of vibe in Afterglow, Open Air and Purple Ray. Application for all three is ultra smooth. They do run on the semi-sheer side so you’ll need to layer on a few coats to get full coverage.

Afterglow is a sheer neutral nude that has that secret Chanel shimmer in the bottle. On the nails there’s not really any visible shimmer. This is a sheer color so two coats will give you a barely there polish. If I add three I get a clean barely there look. Below is with three coats.

Open Air is a periwinkle purple glossy color. It’s not as sheer as Afterglow, but Open Air is still on the natural sheer-medium side. I applied it with two coats below. This is such a pretty soft blue-toned lilac kind of shade. I’ve been wearing it on the toes and love it.

Purple Ray is another lovely purple. It’s semi-sheer and below is the polish with two coats. It’s a soft light lavender and pulls a little more warm than Open Air.

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Lips

The Cruise Collection has two Rouge Coco Flash shades in Lumiere which is a sheer peachy pink and Contraste which is a soft mauve with hint of pink/rose. Both are sheer to medium in coverage. I can get both to cover my lip entirely but they have a soft sheen. In case you missed the previous Chanel post you can see my other Rouge Coco Flash picks here. Formula is glossy and hydrating. Deeper colors have more color payoff. Since they are shiny and sheer lasting power isn’t going to be as strong as a regular lipstick.

The team also sent one of the Le Rouge Duo Ultra Tenue Glosses in Warm Beige with the press package. I’m not sure if this is a repromote but Warm Beige is a natural lips-but-better kind of neutral beige. One end dries to a matte but slightly tacky finish to adhere to the lips. You add the other end which is a clear gloss as a top coat to seal the color. These stay put on the lips really well. It’s like a liquid lipstick with a gloss as a top coat.

Lastly there are two Rouge Coco Glosses in Fraicheur which is a sheer jelly mint green with gold shimmer and Aurora which is a hot pink with gold and pink sparkles. Both are pretty much clear and give the lips a very slight tint of color. I do see more color payoff with the pink one and it gives the lips a full lush glow.

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Eyes

The Les 4 Ombres in Lumieres Naturelles has smooth blendable textures with medium pigment. There is a sparkling silvery taupe, a matte soft light cool brown, a matte medium brown and a soft shimmering satiny bronze. It pulls like a true neutral on my eyes and the silvery taupe makes it more on the neutral-cool side. By comparison the Les Beiges Les Indispensables has more shimmery options and pulls a little warmer and has a wider range of options from light to deep.

Swatched side by side next to the Les Beiges 2019 Palette reviewed here:

There are three Stylo Ombre Et Contour Shadow/Liner/Kohl sticks in Pure Flesh, Metallic Flash and Vague. I really like using the shadow sticks all over the lid and blended alone or as a base for powder shadows. The three colors are perfect everyday kind of colors that are easy to wear and have really good lasting power. Pure Flesh is a satin light peachy color, Metallic Flash is a shimmering taupe (love this one) and Vague is a satiny brown.

Last for the eyes is a new product called the Ombre Premiere Gloss which is a top coat for the eyes. In general I do not like eye glosses. I’ve tried some from NARS and Tom Ford and just couldn’t get into them. The same goes for these from Chanel. I think the concept is really neat and the effect is beautiful for a gilded high shine look. Lunaire is a gorgeous silver and Solaire is a beautiful gold. They stay glossy on the lids which is why I can’t really wear them – in the Florida humidity I need something with a dry down. Pigment is sheer and glossy but buildable. I really liked the way Lunaire looked – I wish it had a different finish because the color, even though sheer, looked really pretty.

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Cheeks

For Cruise Chanel launched a new cheek duo called the Duo Bronze Et Lumiere. There are two color options with a bronzer and highlighter duo in Clair and Medium. The formula is ultra smooth and has an almost gel like creamy feel but dries down to a powdery finish. There’s no detectable scent and whatever this formula is I hope Chanel makes more products with this texture. Both have a very beautiful finish with textures that melt into the skin in the most gorgeous way. They’re easy to blend and layer – I prefer using a full size individual brush rather than the small brush it comes with.

Clair is an ultra light duo with a neutral peach satin and iridescent pink shimmer. On me this one is more of a good finishing or mixing product on the cheeks. It’s too light to be a bronzer or contour on my skin tone but I did a look with just the duo to give you a sense of how light it is. I absolutely LOVE this one for the eyes. I also love this one mixed or layered with other cheek products including the other duo. Since this one pulls so light I don’t know that it can really be a bronzer for any skin tone even ultra fair but it does make for a very nice finishing/smoothing kind of color.

The duo in Medium has a satiny brown and a gorgeous gold shimmer highlighter. It pulls medium-deep on my skin tone and I wear anything from Chanel foundations in Medium to Medium Deep or 30 to 40 right now. This is a good one for sculpting or contouring.

I hope Chanel makes more of this formula in different colors. If they made this into a setting power, blush colors, more bronzers or highlighters I think it would be amazing.

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Two looks below, Look 1 with the Bronzer and Highlighter Duo in Clair:

Foundation – Chanel Les Beiges Water Fresh Tint in Medium with Sublimage Le Teint in 40 layered on top
Powder – Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Powder in 2
Cheeks – both sides of the Chanel Duo Bronze Et Lumiere in Clair mixed together
Eyes – Chanel Stylo Ombre Et Contour in Metallic Flash + Les 4 Ombres in Lumieres Naturelles
Lips – Chanel Rouge Coco Flash in Contraste
Top by Nation LTD
Cheek brush is the Chanel Precision Powder Brush

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Makeup Look 2 with the Bronzer and Highlighter Duo in Medium:

Foundation – Chanel Les Beiges Water Fresh Tint in Medium with Sublimage Le Teint in 40 layered on top
Powder – Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Powder in 2
Cheeks – both sides of the Chanel Duo Bronze Et Lumiere in Medium mixed together
Eyes – Chanel Stylo Ombre Et Contour in Metallic Flash + Les 4 Ombres in Lumieres Naturelles
Lips – Chanel Rouge Coco Flash in Lumiere
Top by Nation LTD
Cheek brush is the Chanel Precision Powder Brush

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Overall a beautiful collection for those who want a nice glow without looking overdone. I think the stand outs are the the Bronzer Highlighter Duo in Medium and the three Le Vernis Nail Colors. The Rouge Coco Flash lip colors offer a fresh polished look I think will be easy to wear for any occasion. The Rouge Coco Glosses are both clear but I find myself really loving the look of Aurora because it gives a soft tint of healthy pink to the lips.

You can find the Chanel Cruise Collection at Chanel.com now. As with previous years I suspect it will trickle out to other Chanel counters soon!

Have you checked out the new pieces yet? What did you think?

Chanel cruise collection gifted by Chanel.

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