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NARS

NARS Atomic Blonde Eye and Cheek Palette Review

August 7, 2018

NARS launched a new limited-edition palette called the Atomic Blonde Eye and Cheek Palette ($59, Sephora exclusive). It has a perfect sunkissed summer vibe with warm bronzey colors for eyes and face. It comes in a mirrored compact with six colors, two of which are repromotes:

Icon Eyeshadow – shimmering soft warm tan gold
Isolde II Eyeshadow – shimmery warm copper
Kink Eyeshadow – warm sparkle copper
Galapagos Eyeshadow – matte deep brown with gold flecks
Last Call Highlighting Blush Powder – soft golden sandy beige shimmer
Unleashed Bronzing Powder – matte sheer warm brown

The eyeshadows are for the most part shimmery. Icon and Isolde II have perfectly soft textures that are easy to blend powders. Kink is a very sparkly eyeshadow which I found best applied with a super dense brush or fingers in a patting motion. Galapagos is a formula that has a matte base but enough gold flecks to make it sparkly. It’s best applied with a dense brush along the lash line or on top of a creamy liner smudged/blended. For me all the eyeshadows performed well without any issue. Kink does have some fallout if you apply with a loose fluffy brush – it may take some experimenting application-wise.

The cheek colors are both soft. Last Call has a semi-sheer finish which is great if you want a soft glow vs sharp frost but it’s not really the most unique shade. It does have a soft warm golden sheen that is more flesh-like than most champagne shimmers but the effect is going to be similar to a lot of other highlighters. Unleashed Bronzing Powder is one I have mixed feelings about. It’s sheer and stiff in texture making it more of a very soft contouring powder on me. As a bronzing powder if it had more pigment or a softer texture I feel it would be too dark for my complexion. Since it is harder and sheerer it gives my skin a very soft contoured look. I don’t typically use contouring powders – I usually just use any regular bronzer to add a tiny bit of dimension.

The palette itself is really pretty and easy to wear for me. Each time I tested it I was happy with the performance and look. It’s a super easy to wear palette that I don’t have to think about when applying. It has all the colors I need, minus a cream shadow base and a little bit of color for blush, but there are a lot of days I don’t wear blush – just bronzer. I do think it would be better if the bronzer had a different texture/finish. But since it’s stiff and semi-sheer it does work well on me as a crease blending color to add depth on the eyes (even though it’s meant for the face). I’m not the biggest glitter shadow fan I would have preferred if Kink weren’t a glitter but I can make it work and I think it’s really nice for summer. Since summer won’t end here in Florida until maybe November I will get a lot of wear out of the colors.

Quick and easy look wearing Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Foundation in Buff, Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Concealer in 3W (swatches of all shades here), La Mer Pressed Powder in Medium, Diorshow Brow Styler Universal Brown, Eyes + Cheeks are NARS Atomic Blonde Eye and Cheek Palette, Lips are NARS Full Vinyl Lip Lacquer in Santo Domingo (review here).

Since the cheek colors are ones I feel are easy to dupe, here are a few swatch comparisons below: Natasha Denona Glow 01 Light is more pink and has more shimmer (reviewed here), Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze and Glow Light-Medium is more neutral/cool, NARS Highlighting Powders in Fort de France and Ibiza have more shimmer, Becca Sunlit Bronzers in Ipanema Sun and Maui Nights have deeper color and are easier to build pigment-wise:

One last look:

Overall easy to use, nice wearable colors. Two shades I’d love to change a little color or formula-wise but I can make the palette work as it is. It’s pretty much an effortless one that I can apply any day for any occasion. In a sense I’m glad the bronzer is stiff/sheer because the color works for my complexion, otherwise I feel like it would be too dark for me to wear.

The NARS Atomic Blonde Eye and Cheek Palette is available at Sephora. It’s listed as a Sephora exclusive, but right now you can also find it online at NARS Cosmetics. It’s limited-edition. Have you checked this one out yet? What did you think?

NARS Atomic Blonde provided courtesy of NARS for review.

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Bobbi Brown Nordstrom

Bobbi Brown Deluxe Eye + Cheek Set and Nude Lip Color Trio Review

August 4, 2018

I have some quick first impressions on two of Bobbi Brown x Nordstrom Anniversary Sale sets. I picked up the Deluxe Eye + Cheek Set ($98) and Nude Lip Color Trio ($84). Both offer classic everyday colors for the conservative beauty lover. The sale ends on August 5th so I wanted to swatch these for you quickly in case they were on your radar.

The Bobbi Brown Deluxe Eye + Cheek Set has an impressive offering for eyes and cheeks. It’s priced at $98 but they value it at $380. I’m not exactly sure how they came up with that value but it is still a good deal since you get 12 eyeshadows and four cheek products in a sturdy mirrored compact. There is a small eyeshadow brush I think is pretty worthless (to be frank) but to be fair when is the last time we got a decent brush in a palette anyways? It’s not a deal breaker for me, it usually isn’t plus I prefer my full size individual brushes anyways.

The eyeshadows run neutral to cool toned. Textures and finishes range from matte, to shimmer to sparkle but none have glittery chunks. There are some colors that are in the individual line you can buy full sizes of but there are also some shades that appear to be exclusive to the palette.

There are two matte blushes in Nectar (peach pink) and Desert Pink (cool muted dusty mauve) which are medium in tone. They can darken a little on oily skin but they are soft and easy to blend. There’s a Medium Bronzing Powder which is a matte as well – it’s a cool-toned brown. They’ve added a pretty Golden Pink highlighting powder which is a light golden pink frost. This is my favorite color in the entire palette.

Quality-wise everything applied smoothly and flawlessly. It definitely has a fall vibe for conservative everyday wear. Cheek colors have to be applied with a soft hand for me since they do darken a little but mixing the highlighter in helps soften the color. Eye-color wise I prefer the MAC Nordy Girl Metallic Palette but the option from Bobbi Brown will give you more options.

For the lips I picked up the Nude Lip Color Trio which to be seems to have a 90’s-ish vibe but slightly softer. It has Beige Lip Pencil (pale beige), Bare Crushed Lip Color (medium warm beige pink) and Sandy Beige Lip Gloss (sheer gold champagne shimmer). The Lip Pencil and Crushed Lip Color are items you can purchase individually. The Lip Gloss is exclusive to the set but the name seems familiar to me – it may have been launched in the past. Colors are fairly standard basics but when layered together it gives the perfect everyday nude lip. It’s been a while since I layered liner + lipstick + gloss but I love the look it gives.

It comes in a cute flat zip pouch, one side is clear and I’m the biggest sucker for clear pouches:

The Bobbi Brown Beige Lip Pencil, Bare Crushed Lip Color and Sandy Beige swatches on bare lips below. I did two sets of swatches where colors were layered. The lipstick alone is very warm on me, but when you layer it on top of the pencil or add the gloss it’s toned down a lot. The MAC Nude Lip Trio I reviewed yesterday has more neutral options.

Overall classic staples that have excellent quality and wear. I personally don’t think either set is a must-have for me since I already own a lot of other colors that are similar. I really like the look of the lip colors layered but Bare Crushed Lip Color pulls very warm on my complexion and it’s a shade that will definitely need to be layered for me. For the eyeshadows I adore these kinds of shades but from the Nordstrom Sale Beauty Exclusives this year I found the MAC options better suited for my taste and skin tone. That being said I do think the Eye and Cheek set is as complete as it gets for giving you everything you need for a day to night look, it’s sturdy, has a nice large mirror and will last you a long time.

With fall beauty trickling out now and holiday launches in the future there are bound to be more palette and set options. So depending on what you already own or what you’re looking for you may want to wait and see what launches later in the year.

You can find both the Bobbi Brown Deluxe Eye and Cheek Set and Nude Lip Color Trio available exclusively at Nordstrom. Both are limited-edition. There are a few more options available that I didn’t pick up. You might want to browse them if you love her line.

Don’t forget to check the Gift With Purchase options if you’re shopping online. On multiple occasions I shopped in store I was told they didn’t have them available.

Did you check out the Bobbi Brown sets? What did you think? If you passed what are your favorite Bobbi Brown items? I used to be the biggest die hard fan of her line!

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MAC Nordstrom

MAC Nordy Girl Metallic Set, Lip Trio Nude and Lip Trio Pink Review

August 3, 2018

MAC always has some of the best beauty sets for the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. With how much has sold out this year I’m thrilled that most of the MAC sets are still in stock online. I did stop by my local Nordstrom yesterday and a lot of the sets were sold out in store. I’d recommend checking online if you’re interested in any of the Anniversary Sale Beauty Exclusives. You can always use their Buy Online Pick Up In Store feature too. I use it to search for each item (on beauty, clothes and accessories) to see if my local store has items in stock. All you have to do is enter in a ZIP code and there are mile / distance options you can input. Saves a lot of time and trips in case they don’t have it in store! I hauled 3 of the MAC Nordstrom sets. Each one is priced at an incredible value for what you get:

MAC Nordy Girl Metallic Set ($44.50) – Metallic eye and cheek palette, full size technakohl liner, full size extra dimension lash mascara in black
MAC Lip Trio Nude ($36.50) – Three full-size lip products
MAC Lip Trio Pink ($36.50) – Three full-size lip products

The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale ends August 5th so there are still a few more days to shop the sale before prices go up. In the past they sometimes keep the beauty sets at the sale price until they sell out. I’m working as quickly as I can to also swatch some of the Bobbi Brown sets as some of you have asked which neutral sets are the best.

MAC Nordy Girl Metallic Set

The MAC Nordy Girl Metallic Set has one of the prettiest neutral-cool colors I’ve seen in a long time. It’s like it’s a different variation on the Urban Decay Naked 2 which I love but get bored of sometimes. As one who is a little meh about all the warm orange tone palettes that have flooded the market, I’m beyond thrilled about this one. There is also a MAC Nordy Girl Matte Set which I was really tempted by but I opted for the Metallic version and am 100% happy about it.

This palette has eight eyeshadows. Two are matte and the rest are gorgeous shimmers in soft silvers, muted rose shimmer, tan shimmer, grey and ash pearls. The pigment on every single color is perfect and they layer together nicely. The cheek color is a pale light pink with gold pearl. On me it’s a highlighter that gives a barely there diffused look. It highlights and brightens my skin tone without adding too much frost and I think it’s perfect. With palettes I rarely love all the colors and with this one EVERY SINGLE COLOR is perfect for me. It also comes with a full size Technakohl Liner in Graphblack (pure black) and In Extreme Dimension Lash Mascara in Black.

Above wearing:

Foundation is Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion in Buff (reviewed last year here, still love it for summer)
Powder is Laura Mercier Translucent Loose
Eyes and Cheeks is the Nordstrom x MAC Nordy Girl Metallic Palette – normally I would add blush or bronzer, but I wanted to show it alone for color-reference
Mascara is L’Oreal Lash Paradise Primer + Mascara Waterproof
Lips is MAC Lipglass in All Things Magical (also reviewed here)

Lip Trio Nude + Pink

There are two lip sets that I picked up from the sale: Lip Trio Nude and Lip Trio Pink. Both sets have 2 full-size lipsticks and 1 full-size creamy lip glass color. I always pick up the nude set each year as they have different limited-edition exclusive colors you can’t find in their regular line. This year all the colors in these 2 sets are new.

The Lip Trio Nude has two full-size lipsticks in Pretty Natural (a perfect nude pink peach, cremesheen finish) and Love Drought (a metallic rose champagne). It also has a full-size lipglass in Body-Con (creamy nude beige). I love the colors in this set although the metallic color is very metallic. For me it’s best toned down with the lipgloss or any clear lip gloss. Texture and finish is creamy and just as good as individual full size MAC items.

The Lip Trio Pink has cooler-toned lip colors. It contains two full-size lipsticks in Petalhead (matte creamy rose) and Pink Addict (perfect metallic pink rose). It also has a full-size lipglass in Sweet as Pie (cool-toned pale rose pink). Alone the lipglass is a little too cool-toned. I prefer Cultured Lipglass or All Things Magical for a cool-pink.

I’m really happy with my haul picks. I will say if you haven’t seen or bought any of the sets yet, I’d recommend you head to your Nordstrom soon as the sale ends and so many of the sets have sold out. By comparison the Bobbi Brown Deluxe Eye and Cheek Set looks similar in tone to the MAC Nordy Girl Metallic. I’m swatching and playing with it today to let you know by tomorrow first impressions but I looked at it in store and the quality looked really good. For neutral lip comparisons, I feel the MAC ones are more trendy. The Bobbi Brown Nude Lip Color Trio has more beige colors with a more everyday vibe. Also the Laura Mercier Nude Lip Collection has great options with a more neutral-pink vibe. I’m going to try and have that one swatched by Sunday but note the Laura Mercier set has existing colors you can buy anytime if you’re trying to decide on one.

Bottom line lots to love at an affordable price. I find the colors excellent and wearable but think they would suit a wide range of ages. I think they’re nice for beginners too.

You can find the MAC Nordy Girl Metallic, Lip Trio Nude and Lip Trio Pink at Nordstrom as part of their Anniversary Sale Beauty Exclusives this year.

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Lips MAC

MAC Plenty of Pout Plumping Lipstick + Lip Gloss Review

August 1, 2018

MAC launched a limited-edition collection called Plenty of Pout. It has a selection of lipsticks and one lip gloss with plumping ingredients they say are meant to “take lips to their very fullest potential.” MAC describes these has having a full bee-stung look with sheer, creamy colour. These contain a ginger root complex that has a cooling sensation to make lips look volumized upon application. At the same time they have oils to moisturize and smooth. As one with naturally full lips I usually don’t look for pluming lip products (I don’t want them bigger!). Also many tingle lip products are so strong I can’t handle the sting. Still the colors in this launch looked perfect and nothing would stop me from trying them. There are 6 shades of the Plenty of Pout Plumping Lipstick and 1 shade for the Plenty of Pout Plumping Lip Gloss.

The Plenty of Pout Plumping Lipstick that come in a similar tube style to the Huggable Lipsticks (now discontinued), Liptensity Lipsticks and Tendertalk Balms. I personally love this style of lipstick because I feel they’re less prone to breakage, especially with the Florida heat outdoors sometimes can soften the base and make my lipsticks break. These are described as sheer and creamy, but to me they seem to have medium to full coverage. Texture is indeed smooth and creamy with a very slight tingle to me. It feels minty and cool. All the colors and glossy shine are just perfect to me. Since they are so creamy I do need to blot once otherwise it looks like I have too much product on. The colors can probably be duped but the best thing about these is that for me there is no tweaking or mixing required. Colors work for me straight out of the tube and they are moisturizing. On a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the strongest), I’d rate the tingle at a 7. Your mileage may vary depending on how sensitive your lips are.

Kiss and Cuddle is a creamy light peachy beige
Nicer Than Nice is the perfect baby pink
Smooth Going is a soft coral pinky peach
So Swell is a muted pink brown
Ample Chic is a perfect hot pink
Crazy Lush is a vibrant hot red

Some have a slight hint of shimmer in the tube but they apply like creams on my lips, shimmer isn’t really visible once I have them on.

Swatched on bare lips. For skintone reference I’m wearing the Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Foundation in Buff on the face. MAC Equivalent is NC35 or NC37 for the Studio Fix Fluid Foundation.

There is also a Plenty of Pout Plumping Lip Gloss which is a soft clear light pink. This gave my lips the same amount of pain the Buxom Full-On Lip Polishes and Glamglow Plumprageous Nudes. It comes with a sponge tip applicator which is easy to use however I could not wear this one more than 5 minutes before I HAD to remove it with a bi-phase makeup remover. Another semi-rant is that once you take the applicator out of the tube you see how little product there is! This is the same issue I had with the Charlotte Tilbury Collagen Lip Bath I reviewed a few weeks ago. On the lips the MAC Plenty of Pout gloss is clear. I would not recommend – for me this was 10 out of 10 painful in terms of the sting, but if you can take the tingle and don’t mind how little product there is inside then there’s nothing wrong with going for it!

Both the lipsticks and lip gloss do plump the lips. Not in an overly done way but there is noticeable fullness with both. If you can handle a bit of tingle I think they are worth looking into – especially since the lipstick colors are perfect. If not I’d recommend you opt for the MAC Cremesheen Lipsticks for a similar creamy feel with a bit of shine or the MAC Liptensity Lipsticks if want similar coverage but with a semi matte finish.

You can find the MAC Plenty of Pout Plumping Lipstick and Lip Gloss collection out now. Everything is limited-edition. Available in stores and online at Nordstrom, Ulta Beauty, Dillard’s, Bloomingdale’s, Macy’s and MAC Cosmetics.

MAC Plenty of Pout collection provided courtesy of MAC for review.

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Nordstrom Tom Ford Beauty

Tom Ford Iris Bronze Eye and Lip Set Review + Swatches

July 24, 2018

Tom Ford launched a new eyeshadow quad with two mini lipsticks in the Iris Bronze Eye and Lip Set ($87) for the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. It sold out the very first day of early access and I have been checking the site daily to see if it has been restocked. No luck yet but I am hopeful it will be. The set features Iris Bronze Eyeshadow Quad which is new and two miniature lipsticks in Casablanca and Spiced Honey. Since it has sold out I’ve tried to dupe both the eye and lip colors and have found some!

Iris Bronze has the same smooth and creamy texture that all of the regular Eyeshadow Quads do. The colors are velvety, blend nicely and layer perfectly on the lids. This quad has a pale cream shimmer, a shimmering light tan champagne, soft warm bronze satin and a deep wine with a tiny hint of sparkle.

In search for dupes:

The colors are practically identical to his Private Shadow Singles in Hush, Body Double, Iris Bronze and Videotape. I own all of these except for Iris Bronze (but I have seen it in person). There are very slight differences that I can see when I look super close but on screen and from a distance the colors look like dupes. I’ve added Fire Sign and Warm Leatherette as I have those colors. In case you missed it you can see my Tom Ford Private Shadow swatches here. I also felt Iris Bronze had a similar vibe to the MAC x Patrick Starrr Glam AF Eyeshadow Quad from holiday, swatching side by side proves it’s kinda similar but still distinctly different.

In addition I’ve added Eyeshadow Quads in Cocoa Mirage and Honeymoon swatched for comparison. Similar undertone but colors and finishes are different.

The Lip Colors in Spiced Honey and Casablanca in this set are available in full-size individual form. The minis in the set are sample size so they’re a lot smaller than even the Lips and Boys. You will most likely get more than a few uses but they will be used up fairly fast. They’re a nice way to try the formula in case you’ve been holding out on splurging as the individuals are very pricey. Spiced Honey is a pale nude pink but on my lips it washes out my face and clashes with my olive skintone. It’s workable if I add a deeper liner like Edward Bess Natural or MAC Boldly Bare. For a nude I really prefer colors like Bad Lieutenant or Autoerotique (both swatched + reviewed here) or the Tom Ford Lips and Boys in Bradley (review here). Casablanca is a classic medium-deep rose that darkens on my lips. I prefer Indian Rose as it’s a tad bit softer and for me easier to wear for everyday (reviewed in last year’s set here).

The Tom Ford Lip Colors are full coverage creamy lipsticks. They have a semi-thick finish but aren’t heavy feeling. There is a slight soft vanilla scent but it’s subtle and fades after a few minutes. Lasting power of the lip color itself is very good.

Swatch comparisons: Nude Vanille, Spiced Honey, Sable Smoke, Pink Dusk, Bad Lieutenant, First Time, Autoerotique, Pussycat, Casablanca and Indian Rose

Overall I give the set a thumbs up even if the lip colors need a tiny bit of adjustment for me. Sometimes it’s nice to have minis and I don’t always mind mixing or layering lip colors. The eyeshadow quad is really beautiful – I prefer it to the singles for convenience, I would have preferred that Tom Ford launched new eyeshadow quads or at least a system similar to the MAC Pro Palettes where you can create your own palette with singles. I am hoping that Nordstrom will restock the Tom Ford set, my mind is still blown that it sold out the first day! Or at the very least I hope new quads will be launched in the fall. If you own the singles, I don’t think you need the quad but I am really happy to own it.

The Tom Ford Iris Bronze Eye and Lip set is exclusive to Nordstrom. You can still find the individual Private Shadows and Lip Colors at all Tom Ford counters. Available online at Nordstrom, Sephora, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Beautylish and Tom Ford Beauty.

Were you able to purchase the set for early access? If so what did you think?

P.S. There are a few new lip products out including a Lip Lock Priming Balm and 20 shades of Lip Sculptors. I will be reviewing the balm and a few of the lip pencils soon! Also the Glamglow x Becca We Know Glow Duo finally launched online!!

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Hourglass Cosmetics

New Hourglass Launches: Ambient Lighting Blush Palette, Veil Additions + Caution Extreme Mascara

July 23, 2018

There have been quite a few new launches from Hourglass over the past months and I have a roundup review today. They have some complexion products for the face in their Veil Lineup, a new Ambient Lighting Blush Palette (Nordstrom exclusive), and a new mascara. Items reviewed today:

Ambient Lighting Blush Palette ($65, Nordstrom Anniversary Beauty Exclusive)
Veil Translucent Setting Powder ($46)
Veil Powder Brush ($64, double ended)
Veil Retouching Fluid in Natural ($34)
Caution Extreme Lash Mascara ($29)

Up first is a look at the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Ambient Lighting Blush Palette. This has one new shade Surreal Glow and two repeats in Luminous Flush and Mood Exposure. Surreal Glow is the new color which is a soft light peachy pink glow which was actually in the Hourglass Holiday 2016 Surreal Light Palette. Each powder is hand made so no two are identical and colors can be the slightest bit different depending on how much color you get in each swirl. The Surreal Glow in my Nordstrom Palette is slightly deeper than the one I have in the Surreal Light Palette. If you’re an Hourglass fan there’s a high chance you already own 2 of the blush colors. I wish they would launch palettes with all new shades, but I do like these for their convenience, especially for travel.

Swatches:

Swatch comparisons below to a few colors from two previous Hourglass palettes in Holiday 2017 Ambient Lighting Edit Volume 3 and Surreal Light Holiday 2016. I also found one close dupe with is the MAC Mineralized Skinfinish in Nuanced (reviewed here). The difference being Nuanced is a lot more shimmery and frosty so it’s more dramatic and won’t quite give you the same effect. Color-wise it’s the closest one I have.

Next are the Veil Product additions including the Veil Translucent Setting Powder, Veil Powder Brush and Veil Retouching Fluid in Natural. Their Veil Mineral Primer has been a long-time best seller for them. It’s an oil-free version so best used with oil-free foundations. Earlier in the spring they launched a few additions.

The Veil Translucent Setting Powder is an excellent translucent setting powder that doesn’t add any white cast to the skin and sets the face in a very natural way. On me it keeps makeup staying set all day without any cakey look. Texture is ultra fine and it does have a very subtle blurring effect to smooth out pores. It’s talc-free, invisible on the skin and has no flash back. The Veil Powder Brush is a double-ended brush that is loose and fluffy. I really love the way it feels on the skin and it performs really well. I use the larger side for loose or pressed setting powders and the smaller one is perfect for their blushes. It’s not quite as matte as the Marc Jacobs Coconut Setting Powder. The Hourglass one also has a lighter weight feel compared to Laura Mercier’s Translucent Setting Powder. All three are excellent, I cannot pick a favorite but I’m really pleased with the way the new Veil Translucent Setting Powder has performed.

The Veil Retouching Fluid is the best thing I’ve tried to highlight and enhance complexion. It has just the right amount of pigment and sheerness to apply under eyes, between brows upwards and anywhere you want to brighten the skin. Most of us use concealer to highlight and brighten. A good blending technique with a damp beautyblender will do the trick to smooth everything out, but in my opinion I think most of the concealers are too opaque to apply on wide areas of the face. I still do it occasionally when my foundation doesn’t have enough coverage, but in the Florida heat layers on layers of makeup are prone to caking eventually. For this formula the color Natural is my best match. It cancels out redness but in a natural way. It doesn’t cake or crease. It’s easy to touch up mid-day on top of your makeup and blend.

I swatched all the colors in store, sorry for the poor lighting quality but I took this in the mall with my iPhone, but I hope this helps as a reference for the color range. I feel like the gaps in between each color are fairly decent. The pigment is sheer and quite forgiving so I think you can easily find a match.

Swatch comparisons to Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Concealers in 3C, 3N and 3W (all shades swatched here), NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Custard, Macadamia and Ginger, Urban Decay All Nighter Concealer in Med-Light Neutral and Medium Neutral

Look wearing:

Base: Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer all over the face
Foundation: Bobbi Brown Skin Longwear Foundation in Warm Natural 4.5 (I’ve gone up a shade deeper since my review here)
Highlight/Under Eyes: Hourglass Veil Retouching Fluid in Natural
Powder: Hourglass Veil Translucent Setting Powder
Cheeks: Hourglass Surreal Glow + Luminous Flush mixed
Eyeshadow: Tom Ford Eyeshadow Quad in Nude Dip
Mascara: Hourglass Caution Extreme Lash
Lips: Hourglass Confession Slip Lipstick in I Lust For (more colors reviewed here)

Last but not least is their new Caution Extreme Lash Mascara. I think it’s very good but it’s not my favorite as I cannot get it to consistently hold the curl. What it does do is give volume, intense color, and dramatic lashes. It stays on all day with zero smudging in my experience. It has lasted on multiple tests through Florida humidity, a swim in the ocean and an afternoon at the beach. It really looks amazing when it works! The holding the curl issue isn’t always working for me but so many mascaras don’t hold the curl for me. My solution is to sometimes layer different formulas for added volume and lasting power. A lot of you have messaged me saying you use this trick all the time! Right now my top two favorites are still the L’oreal Lash Paradise Waterproof and Tom Ford Waterproof Extreme. If I layer this new Hourglass mascara with the L’Oreal it works like a charm 100%.

Overall some nice additions and a few things to consider as beauty staples. The Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Palette is a Nordstrom exclusive, but all other items can also be found at Sephora, Beautylish, and Hourglass Cosmetics. If you’re looking for minis to try Sephora has a few options with a Mini Caution Extreme Lash Mascara and a Veil Prime and Set Mini Duo available. Have you tried these yet? What did you think?

Veil Translucent Setting Powder, Retouching Fluid, Veil Brush and Caution Mascara provided for review.

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Sisley-Paris Skincare

Sisley Paris x Nordstrom All Eyes on Sisley Set

July 19, 2018

I’m continuing my reviews of the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Beauty Exclusives with a look at one of the value sets from Sisley Paris. This year they have two starter/introductory sets for the Anniversary Sale including All Eyes on Sisley ($210) and Introduction to Sisley ($175). The line actually has quite a few starter sets for other products and today I have a look at the All Eyes on Sisley Set which includes two full-sized items of the Sisleya L’Intégral Anti-Age Eye & Lip Contour Cream (0.5 oz) and Eye Contour Mask (1.16 oz). Both are great to help reduce puffiness around the eye area – something my eyes are very prone to.

The Sisleya L’Intégral Anti-Age Eye & Lip Contour Cream is an anti-aging cream that helps firm and lift the eyelids and under the eyes it reduces puffiness. It comes with a small ridoki massage tool which works wonders to help prep and smooth the eye or lip area before you apply the cream. It has a metal plated roller with an amazing cooling and smoothing effect. You massage it in strokes around the eye moving away from the center of the eye. The gentle motions help support circulation and works really well to reduce swelling around the area.

For the cream, a small amount goes a long way. It’s hydrating and in the immediate term reduces the appearance of dryness and fine lines. Skin feels instantly refreshed without any greasy residue. It absorbs into the skin, has a hydrating feel, doesn’t cause breakouts under the eye and has no scent to it. Key ingredients include Persian acacia, yeast and soy protein complex, soy peptide extract, Atlas cedar extract and pomegranate fermented extract. I’ve tried it on both the lips and eyes, I prefer it on the eyes. Full size plus more details listed here.

Full ingredient list per Sisley: SORBITOL, MINERAL OIL, OLEYL ALCOHOL, PROPYLENE GLYCOL DICAPRYLATE/DICAPRATE, CETYL PHOSPHATE, PROPYLENE GLYCOL, TRITICUM VULGARE (WHEAT) PROTEIN, GLYCYRRHIZA GLABRA (LICORICE) ROOT EXTRACT, TRIETHANOLAMINE, STEARYL ALCOHOL, CHAMOMILLA RECUTITA (MATRICARIA) FLOWER EXTRACT, DAUCUS CAROTA SATIVA (CARROT) ROOT EXTRACT, TOCOPHERYL ACETATE, SESAMUM INDICUM (SESAME) SEED OIL, CETEARYL ALCOHOL, PANTHENOL, POLYACRYLAMIDE, PHENOXYETHANOL, CARBOMER, C13-14 ISOPARAFFIN, CETEARETH-33, SODIUM METHYLPARABEN, SORBIC ACID, TETRASODIUM EDTA EG-40 HYDROGENATED CASTOR OIL, OCTOXYNOL-13, LAURETH-7, TRISTEARIN, METHYLPARABEN, ACETYLATED GLYCOL STEARATE, FRAGRANCE, ETHYLPARABEN, BUTYLPARABEN, BHT, ISOBUTYLPARABEN, PROPYLPARABEN, (CONT. LINALOOL)

The Eye Contour Mask has been a favorite since I tried it from the Beauty Subscription Program (it’s exclusive to the Sisley website). This particular tube is my third one. It’s a mask you leave on for around 10 minutes then wipe off. It also hydrates and depuffs the eye area and soothes the skin. They recommend using 2-3 times a week and I use it around 2 times weekly. It’s one of my favorite things to do mask-wise. Ingredients include Arnica, Chestnut tree, Gingko Biloba, Vegetable Glycerin, Vitamins E and B5, Chlorella, Malachite, Linden, Alpha-Bisabolol, Rose Water. Full size plus more details listed here.

Full ingredient list per Sisley: GLYCERIN, WATER/EAU (WATER), HELIANTHUS ANNUUS (SUNFLOWER) SEED OIL, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, ISODECYL NEOPENTANOATE, SODIUM ACRYLATES COPOLYMER, TOCOPHERYL ACETATE, ROSA CENTIFOLIA, FLOWER WATER, PANTHENOL, ALLANTOIN, BISABOLOL, TILIA CORDATA EXTRACT, MALACHITE EXTRACT, ARNICA MONTANA FLOWER EXTRACT, GINKGO BILOBA LEAF EXTRACT, AESCULUS HIPPOCASTANUM (HORSE CHESNUT) SEED EXTRACT, ALGAE EXTRACT, ROSA DAMASCENE FLOWER OIL, HYDROGENATED POLYISOBUTENE, PEG-40, HYDROGENATED CASTOR OIL, ACRYLATES/C10-30 ALKYL ACRYLATE CROSSPOLYMER, PHOSPHOLIPIDS, POLYGLYCERYL-10 STEARATE, ETHYLHEXYLGLYCERIN, DISODIUM EDTA, CITRIC ACID, SODIUM HYDROXIDE, DEHYDROACETIC ACID, TOCOPHEROL, PHENOXYETHANOL, POTASSIUM SORBATE, SODIUM BENZOATE, (cont. citronellol, geraniol.)

For the Nordstrom Sale this set is priced at $210 but the value of both products individually is $355 so it’s like they are adding the eye mask to the set for free. The prices are indeed very steep but I think it’s 100% worth the splurge. I used up and repurchased the Eye Contour Mask which I never want to be without. The eye cream is one I enjoy using and the roller feels really nice on the face. If you have more than a few things on your radar, make sure you check out the Gift With Purchase going on. It also has a step up option.

You can find the All Eyes on Sisley Set at Nordstrom. Today is the last day for Early Access (for cardholders) and the sale officially opens up to the public tomorrow! All the Beauty Exclusives are on their site now. A few of you asked if I had purchased any other skincare sets after my initial haul post. I fell in love with the Malin + Goetz Rum Body wash in our Miami hotel and was thrilled to find a Jumbo Rum Wash available for the sale so I picked it up. I also ordered the Glamglow The Clear Skin Set for my brother. And then not on sale but I repurchased the La Mer Moisturizing Soft Lotion because Andrew ran out and asked for a replacement. There is a nice GWP for La Mer so I added a powder to replace the one I used up to take advantage of the gift.

One last note is the Sisley team is hosting another giveaway for 1 US reader. I’ll be posting it on my Instagram page @beautylookbook later today so be sure to check it out for a chance to win this set.

Do you have any Sisley favorites? Or skincare favorites right now? Let me know in the comments! P.S. The Color Twist Set from last year is still available online and was just marked down.

Many thanks to Sisley for hosting the giveaway! Nordstrom set provided for review.

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