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Ultimate Glow With the Charlotte Tilbury Glowgasm Collection

May 13, 2019

I think I’ve found my ultimate summer glow with the Charlotte Tilbury Glowgasm Collection! I picked up almost all of the new pieces at Nordstrom and think everything is just so stunning. I’ve been such a long time fan of Charlotte Tilbury from the very first day her products launched in the US. So many of you have asked me, “if there’s one brand that you had to stick with for the entire face, what would it be?” One of my top picks would Charlotte Tilbury – her line has something in every category from base, cheeks, eyes, lips etc. that I love. Today I’ve partnered with Nordstrom to share some beauty looks featuring the new Glowgasm Palettes. I’ve mixed in products from her existing lineup to give you ideas on how to wear everything!

Glowgasm Face Palettes

There are two Glowgasm Face Palettes in Lightgasm and Lovegasm. Each one has four shades for the face including a bronzer, blush and highlighters. They’re absolutely gorgeous and give the skin a very pretty lit from within kind of glow. The formula has a unique almost cream-like gel to powder finish. They’re soft to the touch and are like a solid cream but apply like a powder. You can apply wet or dry, on the eyes or cheeks. Application is smooth, it doesn’t emphasize my pores or skin imperfections, lasting power is excellent and they adhere really well to the skin.

Lightgasm

The Glowgasm Face Palette in Lightgasm is the lighter option of the two and on my medium tan complexion this pulls more like a highlighter palette. It’s really pretty on both the eyes or cheeks. I applied with a lighter hand layering all four shades – you can intensify with a damp brush. Colors are a pale yellow champagne gold, a light shimmering peach, a neutral contour satiny bronze and a duo chrome pink-gold.

Makeup look below wearing the lighter option, since the shades run lighter this is more of a glow palette on my complexion with a little bit of dimension with the deeper colors. It has a nice soft and diffused kind of look on the cheeks.

Full beauty breakdown using the Lightgasm Face Palette:

Base: Light Wonder Foundation in 7
Powder: Airbrush Flawless Finish in 2
Eyeshadows: Eyes to Mesmerize in Rose Gold + Eye Palette in The Dolce Vita
Eyeliner: Rock n Kohl in Barbarella Brown
Mascara: Legendary Lashes 2 in Black
Cheeks: Lightgasm Palette, all four shades
Lips: Prep with the Collagen Lip Bath for shine, then layer KISSING Lipstick in Bitch Perfect with Lip Cheat Liner in Iconic Nude on top

Lovegasm

The Glowgasm Palette in Lovegasm is the deeper one and if I had to pick just one this would be it. It has deeper variations of a yellow gold highlighter, deeper peach shimmer, medium tan bronze and a glimmering coral gold shimmer. This has enough color to look like I’m wearing blush on the face. As a peach lover this couldn’t be more perfect for me.

Makeup look wearing the deeper palette option

Beauty breakdown using the Lovegasm Palette:

Base: Light Wonder Foundation in 7
Powder: Airbrush Flawless Finish in 2
Eyeshadows: Eyes to Mesmerize in Rose Gold + Eye Palette in The Dolce Vita
Eyeliner: Rock n Kohl in Barbarella Brown
Mascara: Legendary Lashes 2 in Black
Cheeks: Lovegasm Palette, all four shades
Lips: Matte Revolution in Sexy Sienna with Lip Lustres in Blondie + Portobello Girl

Glowgasm Beauty Wand Highlighters

There are three new Beauty Wand Highlighters. I bought two of them in Peachgasm and Pinkgasm. Both have enough color that I feel like I could get away with wearing these as a shimmering blush. Both have a twist open cap. Squeeze the tube to dispense product into a sponge applicator and then dab on the face anywhere you want a highlight. They have an iridescent finish and a really nice dry down. The Beauty Wands stay creamy long enough to blend and once they set they stay put on the face. Swatches with two different light settings and angles to show depth and shine.

I have a look below with the Pinkgasm – you can see it swatched on the face straight out of the tube and then blended out alone. For a more complete look you can add bronzer, contour, blush or whatever suits your mood. I applied it alone like a face swatch to give you a sense of how it looks on the skin just by itself. Beauty breakdown wearing:

Base: Magic Foundation in Shades 6 + 7 mixed (has fuller coverage compared to Light Wonder)
Powder: Airbrush Flawless Finish in 2
Eyeshadows: Eyes to Mesmerize in Rose Gold + Eye Palette in Pillow Talk
Eyeliner: Rock n Kohl in Barbarella Brown
Mascara: Legendary Lashes 2 in Black
Cheeks: Beauty Light Wand in Pinkgasm
Lips: Prep with the Collagen Lip Bath, add Matte Revolution Lipstick in Pillow Talk with Lip Cheat Liner in Pillow Talk on top

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Overall love and I give everything a solid thumbs up. As one who loves a good glow I think you really can’t go wrong with either palette. If you have medium to deep skin, opt for Lovegasm for a more complete look. Lightgasm is really pretty as well but will be more like a highlighting glow palette. I hope the three beauty looks give you ideas on how to coordinate the colors! I think both are very versatile to wear with any kind of lip or eye. Charlotte Tilbury has a wide range of neutral lips alongside bolder bright shades.

I think these will be perfect all summer long. I was initially worried they might be too glowy but the finish is really pretty and easy to blend out. Textures and finishes are going to also be perfect for warm weather months as they adhere to the skin really well and stay put!

You can find the Charlotte Tilbury Glowgasm Collection out at Nordstrom now. If you’re shopping online don’t forget to check out their Gift With Purchase options as well!

Many thanks to Nordstrom for sponsoring this post. All items purchased by me. As always all opinions my own.

56 Comments

Chanel

Chanel Les Beiges 2019 Collection Review

May 7, 2019

Chanel’s 2019 edition for their Les Beiges Makeup Collection has launched and it has some beautiful pieces for the beauty lover who wants a natural look. Focus is on a barely there tint for the complexion with a new face tint and powder along with new shades for eyes and lips. In this launch:

Les Beiges Water-Fresh Tint ($65 for 30 ml/1 fl oz)
Les Beiges Exclusive Creation Healthy Glow Sheer Powder ($58 for 12 g/0.42 oz)
Les Beiges Healthy Glow Lip Balm ($25 for 3 g/0.1 oz), new shade Intense
Les Beiges Natural Eyeshadow Collection Les Indispensables ($70 for 9 shades)

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Les Beiges Water-Fresh Tint

I’ve been getting so many questions about this new base called the Les Beiges Water-Fresh Tint! It’s a very sheer clear gel base with tiny pigment droplets suspended inside. It comes with a pump dispenser and brush. When you buff it into the skin the droplets burst to feel like a water burst and this gives the skin a barely-there glow. This is a lightweight hydrating gel that feels fresh like skincare but isn’t sticky. It has a subtle scent to it much like the Hydra Beauty Skincare Line does but isn’t overpowering.

Finish is sheer and very glowy to give the skin a luminous finish, much like a glowy moisturizer. Chanel suggests using it three ways: as a primer underneath foundation, alone for a bare-skin effect, or as a touch up over foundation to add glow or even out the complexion. Below a closer look at the product straight out of the pump. The right side has 2 pumps and I lightly smoothed it out with fingers so you could get a better sense of how the pigment is suspended – once you actually buff it into the skin the pigment drops blend out.

I tried it a few different ways: alone with powder to set and also as a primer with their Sublimage Le Teint on top. I think it gives the skin a beautiful very natural glow and even though it’s a gel it stays put all day without sliding off the skin or separating. I think it’s going to be a great one for hot humid months to follow. The brush is a really nice one to use for this!

There are six shades available and I found Medium is the best for me right now although it’s so sheer I can also get away with using Medium Plus although it is noticeably deeper on my face and gives me a sunkissed glow.

If you need any coverage this is not going to be the product for you. My freckles and sun spots show through completely even with layering. The formula in the beige rectangular packaging Les Beiges Sheer Healthy Glow Moisturizing Tint will offer more coverage but still be very sheer/natural on the skin. If you want more coverage but want that dewy finish their CC Cream is excellent. Since this tint is a Gel I only tried it on top of lotion-like sunscreens like the Tom Ford one. I’m going to have to experiment with it more, but I feel like it will not layer well on top of matte finishes. I’m going to re-order the Chanel UV Essential at some point to test on top as well.

Just the tint in Medium all over on the face (also have brow powder on, but everything else is my bare face):

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Les Beiges Exclusive Creation Healthy Glow Sheer Powder

There are seven shades of their new Les Beiges Exclusive Creation Healthy Glow Sheer Powder. I’m not entirely sure if this is supposed to be the same as the original Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Colour just in different packaging or if it’s truly different. The original has SPF 15 labeled on the product while the new 2019 version does not. I have three colors of the new formula that I tested and swatched.

The new 2019 version seems to have a stiffer texture with a more powdery dry finish while the original feels softer. Both are similar in finish and corresponding color although I do notice the new ones seem to have a more matte feel. Color-wise the shades are really close. When applied with the brush or any powder brush it has a sheer enough finish so the new vs original colors will look the same. When swatched with a heavy hand using an eyeshadow brush I see very slight color variations between the original and 2019 version.

Both perform well to give that barely there smoothed out glow look without being overly powdery. It has a satin semi-matte finish and I use these as setting powders. You can use the brush it comes with for a softer glow or for touch ups. I prefer a larger fluffy powder brush to set or contour. My shades are 20 and 30 mixed for setting (I’m in between colors). 40 is a good one for me to warm up the skin or contour. You can still find the original ones online. If I had to pick which one I think is better I feel like I prefer the original.

The new ones take a little bit of breaking in to get going. I’ve used older Chanel powder brushes and the MAC 140S works well too.

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Les Beiges Healthy Glow Lip Balm

The Les Beiges Healthy Glow Lip Balm is a tinted glossy balm with pretty good color payoff. There are three shades that launched last year which you can see reviewed here. This year they added a new shade called Intense which is a deeper berry red. To me this feels more like a fall shade, but it’s still a classic kind of Parisian chic kind of color. These are really nice on the lips. Hydrating, smooth, glossy and they don’t slide off or feel heavy. Lasting power is very good for a balm, you will need to reapply and they will transfer but they fade nicely.

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Les Beiges Natural Eyeshadow Collection Les Indispensables

This Les Beiges Eyeshadow Palette is the star of the collection in my opinion and I think it’s a must-have. It has all the perfect neutrals in one palette and having 9 shades makes it super easy to wear. I’m hoping they make it permanent because it’s truly perfect for everyday. It has a mix of satins and shimmers. Pigment is excellent and smooth. Colors layer beautifully and I feel like there is enough variation so the colors look different on the lids when you apply.

Colors include a shimmering champagne, soft satiny warm brown, soft neutral brown, shimmery deeper champagne, sparkling silver, satiny soft grey brown, shimmering gold, deep shimmery brown, shimmering deep brown copper.

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Application of the Water Fresh Tint and Healthy Glow Sheer Powders

Final look wearing:

Les Beiges Eau de Teint in Medium all over face
Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Powder in No 20 (new version) all over to set
Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Powder in No 40 (new version) to bronze
Brow Powder Duo in Brun
Les Indispensables Eyeshadow Palette on Eyes
Healthy Glow Lip Balm in Intense
Linen Tank from J.Crew
Nail Polish is Le Vernis in Afterglow (part of the Cruise Collection, review soon!)

One last look:

Overall a solid thumbs up. There are some staple pieces that are nice for everyday. I think the eyeshadow palette is a must even with all the other neutral palettes out there right now. It’s a beautiful one with easy to wear neutrals for a soft or smokey neutral eye look.

I really like the look and finish of the Water Fresh Tint but love it as a primer for fuller coverage foundations like their Sublimage Le Teint. It gives the skin a glow but to me feels more like a skincare gel with a slight tint rather than a base. If you are looking for any kind of coverage this is going to be too sheer for you. I’m always surprised at the split in foundation preference from my readers. Some of you absolutely need medium to full coverage bases while others tell me you really don’t wear any foundation at all!

I’m undecided about the new 2019 Les Beiges powders. I think they perform well and are going to be nice just like the originals but the texture is different. I’m just a little confused on whether or not they are the same or different just without the SPF. The difference in the finish and color is almost indistinguishable – the newer ones just feel a little more stiff in the pan and more matte.

In case you missed it don’t forget to check out my Mother’s Day Gift Guide if you need gift ideas! Other reviews coming up soon on the blog including Cruise 2019, the New Eye Collection and Matte Match as well.

You can find the Chanel Les Beiges 2019 collection out now, available at Chanel.com and all Chanel beauty counters.

Have you checked out this collection yet? What did you think?

Some pieces featured are press samples including Water Fresh Tint in Medium Light, Healthy Glow Lip Balm in Intense, Sheer Powder 40 and Les Indispensables Eye Palette. All other colors purchased by me.

23 Comments

Natasha Denona

Natasha Denona Biba Eyeshadow Palette Review

May 5, 2019

Natasha Denona launched her beautiful Biba Eyeshadow Palette ($129) and it’s a beautiful! It’s an all neutral 15-pan eyeshadow palette with a mix of satins, shimmers and mattes (no glitters). It has a very unique powder texture that feels satiny and soft to the touch. Pigment is excellent across the board with very easy to blend textures. Biba pulls neutral but still has a mix of warm neutral and cool neutrals – there are enough colors in here to give you a wide range of complete eye looks. You can find it now at Sephora and Beautylish.

I’ve played with this palette for about a week now and think it’s a beautiful option for those who want a little bit of everything in a neutral palette. Lasting power is really good – stays put on top of a cream shadow base, doesn’t budge and layers beautifully.

Colors include:

Rustic is a metallic bronzey shimmer (LOVE this one)
Prairie is a matte mustard brown
Coco is a satin matte brown
Freckle is a neutral peachy matte
Shine shimmery champagne gold
Pasha is a matte reddish brick brown
Monroe is a shimmering champagne
Rayon is a satiny soft pink
Buff is a matte satin warm antique pink
Tone is a warm brick matte satin brown
Seed is a matte chocolate deep brown
Tor is a soft matte grey
Sculpture is a pale light grey matte
Spot is a matte deep black smokey color
Tusk is the perfect light beige matte

I swatched the palette and just realized I forgot to include one shade Coco (dark matte brown, third one on top row). I’ll re-swatch larger swatches once I receive my replacement camera flash in the mail (that was the item that broke), but you can scroll down for all 15 shades in the comparison photo.

14 of the 15 shades (will be updated, my apologies!)

I did a poll on Instagram stories asking which palette you wanted me to review, this one or the new Chanel. It was really close and most of you preferred a review of the Chanel Les Beiges Les Indispensables instead. I will have a full Les Beiges review coming up very soon but here are quick side by sides if you want a look:

Some of my camera equipment broke this past week so I wasn’t able to shoot detailed looks. I managed one on the eyes with a layered mix of Shine, Pasha, Coco and Buff.

Also wearing:

Natasha Denona Transformatte Foundation in 30W (review here)
Hourglass Veil Translucent Powder
Natasha Denona Diamond Blush and Glow Palette in Darya on cheeks (review here)
Hourglass Unreal Lipgloss in Truth (review soon)
Diorshow Brow Styler in Universal Brown

Bottom line a solid A+. It’s beautiful, performs well, blends and layers with perfection and has every color you can think of for any neutral eye look. There are also enough colors that can take your neutral look to the next level for a smokey neutral too!

The Natasha Denona Biba Eyeshadow Palette runs at $129 for 15 shadows. You can find it now at Sephora and Beautylish. If you’re shopping the Sephora Beauty Insider Event this is a beautiful one to splurge and save on!

It ends tomorrow May 6th with the following codes:

Rouge Members receive 20% off purchases with code HEYROUGE
VIBs receive 15% off with code HEYVIB
Beauty Insiders receive 10% off with code HEYINSIDER

Have you tried any of Natasha Denona’s eyeshadow palettes? If you’ve been waiting for a neutral non-glittery one this is a great one to check out!

Natasha Denona Biba provided for review. One also purchased by me.

7 Comments

Highlighters NARS

NARS Orgasm Collection – Summer 2019 Review + Swatches

May 1, 2019

NARS launched another Orgasm Collection this year with new additions to the line. I have swatches of everything plus a few makeup looks to share today! The collection is available at Sephora and NARS Cosmetics:

Orgasm Blush ($40) in an oversized metallic rose compact
Orgasm Liquid Highlighter ($30) a sheer shimmery illuminator in liquid drops form
Oil-Infused Lip Tint ($26) a color adjusting lip oil that adds a lush pink glow
Endless Orgasm Palette ($49) six satiny creams that have varying degrees of shimmer for an ultra dewy look, can be used on eyes, lips and cheeks

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Orgasm Blush 2019

This year’s Orgasm Blush is similar to last year’s version in the sense that it has a slightly deeper rosy sheen than the regular compact. It also looks a little more glowy on the face but isn’t overly frosty. For me this kind of rose warm gold color is really easy to wear to add warmth and glow to the face. I’ve swatched 3 different powder Orgasm blushes and to me they’re all slightly different in color and shimmer. When viewed at arm’s length they may look pretty much the same. If you can’t do the NARS blush texture (some of you have told me you’re allergic) you might want to check out Charlotte Tilbury Cheek to Chic in Ecstasy which is similar but slightly warmer (also softer in texture and not as shimmery).

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Liquid Highlighter

There’s a new product called the Orgasm Liquid Highlighter. It’s a warm rose gold shimmer in the bottle but on my face applies more neutral – the sparkles show up more making it a little more neutral. The shape of the bottle is similar to the Orgasm Liquid Blush, but the highlighter comes with a dropper and is quite sheer. It has a thin texture that is very fluid. One drop applied with fingers will give you a very pretty shimmery soft glow. I really love this on the face for that barely there glow. Some of you will find it too sheer in which case I’d recommend you try a few other colors I’ve swatched below including the NARS Highlighting Powder, CoverFX Custom Drops or Hourglass Vanish Flash Highlighter. Colors aren’t quite the same but I found the closest ones I could.

Extra glow with the Liquid Highlighter and Orgasm 2019 blush layered together. For a more wearable look with less intense glow all you need to do is take a clean powder brush and buff/blend out the color. Also wearing the:

Armani Luminous Silk Foundation in 6.5
Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Powder in 2
Anastasia Brow Wiz in Caramel
Endless Orgasm Palette on eyes
Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner in Zero
Orgasm Oil-Infused Lip Tint
Top from J.Crew (actually a beach coverup)

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Oil-Infused Lip Tint

My favorite item in the collection is the Orgasm Oil-Infused Lip Tint. This applies clear on the lips but adjusts to a really pretty pink within 2-3 minutes. I have it shown on the arm after a few minutes and also applied on the lips. There’s no scent or taste. It has a very slight gold shimmer but isn’t frosty. It transforms into such a pretty flushed pink on my lips. I love that it is super hydrating without feeling like it’s going to slide off the lips.

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Endless Orgasm Palette

Finally I have a look at the Endless Orgasm Palette. There are six cream shimmers that are sheer and emollient giving a very dewy finish. To the touch these creams feel very slippery. I have such mixed feelings about this palette. It looks so so pretty on the skin if you apply it with the right touch. I tested it on both the face and eyes alone and then layered with powder products. Alone it feels so emollient I don’t think it would last on my skin more than an hour without getting super dewy and sweaty looking. The products give a wet skin effect with how creamy they are. As soon as I swatched it I knew I would have to add powder to set and tone down the glow. I can improve the look when layered with any kind of powder blush or eyeshadow. The powder helps set the product and makes it grab onto the skin better. Indoors the product with powder layering lasted for a good 4-5 hours without budging but this makes it higher maintenance than I prefer.

I think it’s workable and beautiful as a soft dewy finishing highlight for either the eyes or cheeks. But it’s going to be either a strong hit or very strong miss for most of you. If you’re one who adores dewy products like the RMS Living Luminizer or the Chanel Baume Essentiel Stick I think you’ll really enjoy this palette. As much as I love the colors I don’t think it will be an easy one to wear outdoors for me especially in the Florida heat.

Colors include a shimmering pearl, shimmery rose mauve, shimmery pink, frosted pale pink, frosted copper and rosy gold shimmer.

Wearing the entire 2019 collection on the face, eyes and cheeks. Same breakdown for base, liner etc. as listed in the above makeup look photo.

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Overall really pretty, but formulas aren’t going to be for everyone. The liquid highlighter and palette will especially tricky for those with oily skin. The liquid highlighter has a nice dry down but it does have a glowy finish which I think will emphasize oily skin’s glow. The palette is so creamy and if you can’t do that extra dewy look this will be too glowy for you.

I really like this year’s Orgasm Blush although if you have previous launches it’s not a must-have. The Lip Oil is my favorite item in the whole collection. It gives a more flushed look compared to the Afterglow Balm for me (which I still love).

You can find the NARS Orgasm 2019 collection out now. Available at Sephora and NARS Cosmetics. Quick note I took a look online and a lot of items are sold out on Sephora’s website but if I click the store locator option and type in my zip code there’s still a lot of stock in stores near me. I’m hoping they restock online soon for those who don’t have a store near them!

Have you checked this collection out yet? What did you think? By popular request I will be reviewing the Charlotte Tilbury collection to test and compare. I’m ordering the products as soon as they hit the Sephora website!

NARS collection provided for review.

25 Comments

Chanel Gift Guide

Luxury Beauty Gift Ideas for Mother’s Day

April 29, 2019

Mother’s Day is coming up soon and the weeks are flying by so quickly this spring! I still cannot believe it’s the end of April. We have a little over a week before Mother’s Day is here on May 12th so if you’re shopping early I have a gift guide rounding up some luxurious splurges! Chanel Beauty has been one of my favorite go-to lines over the years and I’m so excited to share a selection of their Mother’s Day Gift Guide for every kind of beauty lover. I’ve personally gifted Chanel beauty products to a number of women in my life all different age ranges and it’s one line that never fails to impress. Their nail polishes or their lip glosses always spark a lot of joy!

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Makeup Gifts for Her

If you have a mom, mother-in-law, friend who’s a mom who has everything you can’t go wrong stocking her up on classic staples.

Chanel Rouge Coco Flash is still a relatively new lip formula and the classic go-to red is Amour. The formula is shiny and the deeper colors pack in quite a bit of pigment.
For nails it doesn’t get more classic than Chanel Le Vernis in Pirate. I’ve had this since the original formula many years ago. The newer one is just as good! To make the manicure last I really like the Le Gel Top Coat and it prevents chipping for around a week for me.
Everyone can use a restock of their favorite mascara, the Le Volume Revolution de Chanel is their newest one and makes a great one for ultimate volume or you can always opt for their classic Le Volume formula too.
For the mom who’s a minimalist with makeup and wants a very natural matte liquid lip, Rouge Lip Ink in Serenity is a very easy to wear muted rose neutral.

If you have a mom in your life who already has everything the Les Beiges collection for 2019 just launched! I will have a review for you very soon but am still waiting on a few items to review the full collection. The pieces I’ve tested so far are gorgeous and I can’t imagine anyone who wouldn’t absolutely love it.

Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Colour Powder has been a staple for years as a lovely setting powder that looks natural.
Les Beiges Water-Fresh Tint is the latest all over sheer glow. I know many women don’t want any coverage and barely wear foundation. This is a great option for that all over glow with just a very slight tint of color.
For those who want to know what I think the best Chanel foundation is, splurge on the Sublimage Le Teint for yourself. I did and have no regrets splurging. It is better suited for normal to dry skin but I can wear it just fine with normal combination skin.
The Les Beiges Natural Eyeshadow Collection has literally every neutral shade you can think of for the perfect everyday natural eye.

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Luxury Fragrance & Skin Treats

There are so many beautiful fragrances from Chanel. I know it’s very personal so buying for someone could be a bit tricky. If the mom in your life has a go-to stock her up on her favorite!

I owned Les Exclusifs de Chanel in Beige many years ago before they reformulated it into parfum form. It’s been a while since I spritzed this but it’s every bit as beautiful as I remember. It’s one of my favorite perfumes for spring.
Les Eaux de Chanel offer three gorgeous lightweight fresh smelling perfumes. Paris-Venise is a sweet neroli with a little bit of vanilla and tonka and soft powdery notes.
If you feel fragrance is too tricky and risky to splurge on you can always opt for the classic La Creme Main in Texture Riche (I really adore this!) or the Hydra Beauty Nourishing Lip Care. I feel like the hand cream and lip balm combo is a no-fail super safe option for anyone, even the pickiest of women!

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Skincare to Splurge On

For skincare there are a lot of gorgeous options to pick from. Some of the most luxurious skincare I’ve tried is from Chanel!

L’Huile Anti-Pollution Cleansing Oil is a really nice silky smooth non-drying cleansing oil. It leaves the skin feeling clean without that stripped feeling. I have this from last year and still use it weekly. A little goes a long way and the bottle will last a long time.
The Sublimage line is hands down the most luxurious line I’ve ever tried. I splurged on a couple pieces for myself over the years and loved them so so much! For Mother’s Day they recommend Sublimage L’Essence Lumiere Concentrate to illuminate the skin combined with the L’Extrait de Creme to restore, regenerate and protect.
- If you’re unsure about splurging on these individual pieces you might want to consider the Sublimage Le Voyage Set which has minis.
The Hydra Beauty Line has one of my favorite Face Mists. They add pieces to the line every year and the latest is the Hydra Beauty Camelia Water Cream. I put this to the test this past week and think it’s really really lovely. It’s one of the best lightweight creams I’ve tried!
For those who want firming Le Lift is a great line to look into. I’ve had this Le Lift Creme put on my face during a number of beauty events and it’s a really nice cream. My mother-in-law has been recently talking about issues with sagging skin so I think this is going to be perfect for her to try.

Lots of beautiful ideas to pick from!

Wearing in this post: Chanel Sublimage Le Teint in 40, Les Beiges Powder 20 to set, Les Tissages Tweed Beige Blush, Rouge Coco Gloss in 172 Tendresse (my favorite color), Le Vernis in Pirate, Powder Brow Duo in Brun, Le Volume Revolution Mascara, Woven Lilac Ribbed Top from Reformation

I’m bringing a bag of all the makeup items over to my mother-in-law’s for Mother’s Day for her to try out. For skincare and fragrance I’m going to let her pick and choose which items she thinks will best suit her. I love that she’s so easy going she will literally like anything!

For those who are looking for luxury gift ideas for the moms in your life or if you want to treat yourself I hope this gives you some good ideas at multiple price points! Gifting doesn’t have to be complicated or over the top. I’ve found sometimes picking one or two small things and adding a pretty bouquet of flowers or box of baked goods is super easy and fun 🙂 More ideas and inspiration on their online gift guide.

Skincare Gifts for Her
Makeup Gifts for Her
Fragrance Gifts for Her

You can find the Chanel Mother’s Day Gift Guide selects available on Chanel.com now.

Chanel beauty products gifted by Chanel.

12 Comments

NARS

NARS Heat of the Night Summer Edit Collection

April 24, 2019

NARS is killing it this season with yet more pretty palettes for summer. They just launched called Heat of the Night Summer Edit with two Face Palettes in Summer Lights and Hot Nights along with new colors of Satin Lip Pencil and Velvet Matte Lip Pencil. The palettes are truly phenomenal in terms of pigment, blendability and color selection. They’re pretty for summer to add warmth and glow. Lip pencils offer bold color deeper than I’m used to wearing but are still nice everyday kind of neutrals. The collection is limited-edition and is available now at Sephora and NARS.

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Summer Lights Face Palette

The Summer Lights Face Palette ($59 for 3.2 g x 4 eyeshadows, 7.1 g x 2 for cheeks) is the lighter option of the two palettes with four eyeshadows, a soft highlighter and matte bronzer. Everything is a powder formula with super soft textures that are easy to blend. If you already own the Skin Deep Eye Palette you might want to skip both of these as you’ll find similar color options. However these palettes do have a really nice lighter shimmer shade for eyes combined with the cheek colors they make for excellent travel companions. In the Summer Lights Face Palette:

Rainwater Eyeshadow is a shimmery taupe beige
Hibiscus Eyeshadow is a yellow bronze shimmer
Papeete Eyeshadow is a terracotta bronze
Hei Eyeshadow is a satiny cool brown shimmer
Paper Flower Highlighting Blush Powder is a warm champagne shimmer
Destination Unknown Bronzing Powder is a neutral soft matte brown

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Hot Nights Face Palette

The Hot Nights Face Palette is the deeper option of the two with bolder eye colors ($59 for 3.2 g x 4 eyeshadows, 7.1 g x 2 for cheeks). It’s not too dark for me to wear I still prefer the lighter option. I think this will definitely work better for deeper skin tones to show up more. Colors in the Hot Nights:

Pacific Eyeshadow is a pink champagne beige shimmer
Paradis Eyeshadow is a violet bronze shimmer
Maeva Eyeshadow is a reddish cranberry shimmer
Black Sand Eyeshadow is a deep purple shimmer
Tautira Highlighting Blush Powder is a shimmering rose gold tan
Manihi Bronzing Powder is a matte medium bronze

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Velvet Matte Lip Pencils

There are four shades of Velvet Matte Lip Pencils. These have medium coverage with a velvety matte finish. The pigment is buildable to cover the entire lip.

Good Times is a nude beige matte
Take Me Home is a terracotta color
Promiscuous is a hot bright deep pink
Dance Fever is a 90’s matte brown

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Satin Lip Pencils

I haven’t used a Satin Lip Pencil in so long I forgot how much I liked the creamy formula! They have a nice shine finish and very pretty smooth coverage. Colors run darker than I’d normally wear but they’re a nice bolder option for summer:

Balboa is a plum cream rose
Giusti is a medium rose
Golden Gate is a cool grey mauve pink
Exbury is a soft creamy warm rose

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Makeup look wearing the Armani Power Fabric Balm in 6.5 (review here), La Mer Loose Powder to set, NARS Summer Lights Palette on Eyes and Cheeks, Tom Ford Emotionproof Mascara, NARS Take Me Home Pencil. Top by Nation LTD.

Overall a solid collection of easy to wear bronzey shades for summer. I tend to like brighter lighter colors for lips so most of the lip colors were outside my comfort zone. They’re still neutral and easy to wear for a more dramatic but still neutral lip look. I really like the Summer Lights Palette – it’s enough to give me a complete beachy bronze look. I feel like I need a little more color so I’ve added blush in addition to the palette, but other than that these make for great summery looks. The compacts are sturdy and have large enough pans to dip a brush into. Yet they’re compact enough to travel with.

Quality and lasting power is really good, true to NARS powder shadows and lip pencils. For me the palettes lasted all day on the face for a good solid 7 hours without fading. Lips are always tricky to test as I’m constantly snacking, drinking or wiping my face to do swatch tests. They do stay put as long as your lips don’t touch things.

You can find the NARS Summer 2019 collection out now. Available at Sephora and NARS.

NARS Summer collection provided courtesy of NARS for review consideration.

108 Comments

Tom Ford Beauty

Sunkissed Perfection With Tom Ford Beauty Soleil 2019

April 22, 2019

Tom Ford Beauty Soleil 2019 has launched and I’ve been so excited to play with the collection over the past few weeks. As usual the pieces are limited-edition and come in the beautiful white and gold packaging. Overall I think the collection is really beautiful for that perfect sunkissed look. I purchased several products the minute they launched online and also received a few items as press samples. There are a number of other items in the collection I don’t have featured, but I’m really happy with the items I do have:

Lip Color Sheer ($55 each) in Mustique and Carriacou
Lip Blush ($55) in 01 Soleil*
Lip Gelee ($55 each) in Lustrous*, Maldives, Sunlit* and Scorching
Acqua Metal Shadow ($46 each) in Violet Argente and Venus Rising
Soleil Glow Bronzer ($70 each for the minis) in Terra and Gold Dust*
Soleil Sheer Cheek Duo ($80) in Lissome

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Soleil 2019 Lips

The lip colors this season are true to the Tom Ford Soleil theme with fresh and sheer color options. I ordered items sight unseen and was lucky that I ended up really loving every piece I bought. I opted for two of the Lip Color Sheers in Mustique (perfect cool toned baby pink) and Carriacou (perfect peach cream). Both are medium in coverage and have a soft glossy finish. I find myself really loving Carriacou for a natural peachy cream lip. Lasting power is pretty good for sheer lip color, although I don’t really consider these “sheer” like the name implies. They are sheer if you compare them to the regular formula lip colors and mattes. I think these have medium coverage.

The Lip Blush is a clear gold flecked color transforming balm that so many of you have been interested in! As soon as I put a sneak peek on stories I was flooded with comments – all of which were mixed. Based on my testing I really like it. It gives my lips the perfect pink flush but it will look different on everyone. I think it’s really flattering on my lips. It’s lightweight, unscented, gives my lips a nice pink glow/stain. Stays put. The only thing not to love is the high price tag. At the $55 price you can find something similar for a lot less like the Dior Addict Lip Glows or Bobbi Brown Extra Lip Tints.

Lip Gelees seem to be having a bad moment on the internet. On the hands/arm they do not swatch well and look practically clear. As one who does not put counter testers on my lips I can understand why these have been dismissed as fails because I would have passed too had I counter swatched them. I ordered two and received the other two as press samples. I do not think they are as bad as the online reviews. The concept is really nice for a fresh gelee lip look with a slight stain and balm in one. I think the colors are perfect for a sunkissed summer pop of brightness. But the $55 price tag is really hard to justify for something that is sheer, has small packaging, seems to have little product and is more than 1/2 clear. Colors swatched straight from the tube vs. with a lip brush so you can see the actual color. Lustrous is a sheer red, Sunlit is a orange color, Scorching is a light peach, Maldives is a baby pink.

Swatches straight out of the tube versus with a lip brush:

Lip swatches of the items below (forgot to do a detail shot of the lip blush, but scroll down to the bottom to see it on a full face makeup look). All done on bare lips.

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Soleil 2019 Eyes

There are three Acqua Metal Shadows and I opted for two in Venus Rising a metallic pink and Violet Argente a metallic neutral bronzed mauve pink (so hard to describe this one!). I’ve worn Violet Argente on stories a few times and everyone was asking about it. These are metallic fluid shadows that come with a sponge tip applicator. The applicator is really flexible and a little hard to control for me so I take a separate shadow brush, brush it off the tip of the applicator and then apply to eyes. You can apply directly to the lids and blend with a finger too which works. I need more control so I’ve found using a separate brush to apply is the best. The color is quite intense with one swipe but sheers out to a lovely smooth sheen. Layering increases the intensity and shine. Once they set they stay put all day. It didn’t budge in warm weather for me and I think I’ll be reaching for these all summer long. That being said if these are out of your price range you might want to wait and check out the Bobbi Brown High Shine Liquid Eyeshadow or Armani Eye Tint Liquids coming out soon.

Swatches and comparisons side by side to a few others including the Armani Eyes to Kill Stellar in 5 Stellar, Hourglass Scattered Light in Aura, Tom Ford Eye Duo in Golden Peach and Charlotte Tilbury Eyes to Mesmerize in Rose Gold. This is for a color comparison/reference. I really can’t compare formulas because they are all so different. The Tom Ford is the most fluid and metallic.

Violet Argente on the eyes with a black liner. Also wearing Gold Dust Soleil Glow Bronzer and the Lip Blush.

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Soleil 2019 Cheeks

The bronzers Terra and Gold Dust have been reformulated this season in a Soleil Glow Bronzer. I have two in the miniature format. (Also available in the jumbo size.) The colors are really similar to the previous launches. This year the Soleil Glow Bronzer has a softer finish which is more powdery with an almost creamy touch. Because they’re so soft it’s almost made the pigment more intense. I recommend applying with a light hand. The 2019 Terra does seem to be slightly more cool-toned than previous Terras. I’ve used the Tom Ford bronzers for years and really do love them. If you’re looking for a new one though I’d recommend opting for one of the NARS summer palettes like Summer Lights (review coming soon). You’ll get more bang for your buck since it’s a full palette for eyes and cheeks. The Tom Ford bronzers are a really nice splurge. I’ve never regretted buying the previous season’s versions and the mini is nice for travel. Just though I’d suggest an alternative if you’re looking for something a little more unique/fun.

There’s also a new Sheer Cheek Duo in Lissome which I think is so so pretty. I’m calling this a must-have. It has a soft peach and soft pink with the prettiest satiny finish. It makes the skin glow without adding any frost or excess shimmer. Formula is the same as previous launches. It has a smooth almost cream to powder hybrid formula that isn’t really all that sheer. It’s super easy to blend, applies smoothly, doesn’t emphasize texture and stays fresh looking for hours.

Swatch comparisons to the original powder versions of the Tom Ford Bronzers and Sheer Cheek Duo in Bicoastal side by side. I swatched everything with a heavy hand. On the face everything applies a lot more sheer especially with blending.

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Three looks with the cheeks:

Foundation is Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Foundation in 235
Powder is La Mer Pressed Powder
Eyeshadow is Tom Ford Acqua Metal in Violet Argente
Eyeliner is Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner in Zero
Mascara is Tom Ford Emotionproof
Top by Sanctuary (runs loose, wearing an XS)
Nail Polish is OPI Tiramisu for Two
Lips + cheeks labeled in each photo below

Overall a beautiful launch with easy to wear fresh natural color. Tom Ford Beauty can be quite the splurge and I’ve been really happy with most of everything I’ve tried from the line over many many years. Based on the numerous launches and repeats over the seasons, I don’t think I’d call the bronzers a must-have if you’ve bought previous year’s colors. For me the top stand outs are Lip Color Sheer in Carriacou, Acqua Metal Shadow in Violet Argent and the Sheer Cheek Duo in Lissome. The Lip Blush is a solid thumbs up for me as I really like the flush it gives my lips, but you can 100% find a cheaper alternative that’s just as good.

You can find the Tom Ford Beauty Soleil 2019 Collection out now. I bought my pieces from Nordstrom. Also available at Bloomingdale’s, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Sephora and all other Tom Ford Beauty retailers.

Have you checked out this collection yet? What did you think?

Press samples have a * next to them, all other items purchased by me.

109 Comments

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