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NARS

NARS Narsissist Wanted Cheek Palettes and Power Pack Duos

March 27, 2018

More NARS newness out right now with two palettes for the cheeks and three duos for the lips! NARS launched a NARSisisst Wanted Cheek Palette Volume I and Volume II ($59 each for 0.13 oz/3.9 g x 6) and NARSisisst Wanted Power Pack Lip Kits ($22 each for 2.8 ml each) in Cool Nudes, Warm Nudes and Hot Reds. These are currently exclusive to Ulta Beauty and NARS online. I’m a huge fan of the NARSissist Wanted Eyeshadow Palette (I use it weekly) so I was really curious to check out the collection for lips and cheeks.

The two NARSisisst Wanted Cheek Palettes are similar to last year’s Unfiltered Cheek Palettes. The colors aren’t identical and there were a lot more shimmers in last year’s versions. However the color scheme and finish are similar. If you already own those and still have a lot of product left you may want to skip the new ones. The palettes both have a mix of mattes and shimmers. They are powdery and have sheer to medium pigment. I find Volume 1 (pinks) easier for me to wear. Volume 2 (red and coral) is very dark on my skin and the deep shades are ultra pigmented and darken on my skin.

NARSisisst Wanted Cheek Palette Volume I has lighter pink shades, soft pinks and a matte watermelon pink color. There are some shimmers but the overall effect is more satiny matte. Colors include:

Unlimited sheer light pink shimmer
Buzzed soft matte peach
Notorious cool matte pink
Kingpin is a soft light rose matte
Bumpy Ride is a medium warm bubble gum pink shimmer
Crave is a watermelon matte pink

Makeup worn above:

Tarte Shape Tape Matte Foundation in Medium Sand
MAC Next to Nothing Pressed Powder in Medium Plus
NARSissist Wanted Eyeshadow Palette
Velour Effortless Lashes in Short and Sweet
Diorshow Brow Styler in Universal Brown
Hourglass Arch Brow Volumizing Fiber Gel in Soft Brunette
NARS Power Matte Lip Pigment in American Woman
Cheeks on the left are the top 3 palette shades layered in Unlimited, Buzzed and Notorious
Cheeks on the right are Kingpin, Bumpy Ride and Crave layered

NARSissist Cheek Palette Wanted Volume II has deeper shades with a bronze, orange, red and bold tones:

PYT is the perfect shimmering soft bronze
Ambition is a bright orange
Taos is a bronzed amber red
Exposed is a soft rose matte
Penthouse is a deep cranberry matte
Queen is a matte red

Wearing same makeup as the photo above. Cheeks on the left are PYT, Ambition and Taos. Cheeks on the right are PYT, Ambition and Queen layered.

There are three NARSissist Wanted Power Pack Lip Kits which are mini Power Matte Lip Pigments. I’m already a fan of American Woman (a few more neutrals reviewed here in my Neutral Lip Testing post). I think these are great to try a couple shades to see if you like the formula. Liquid lips can be tricky and although these are very matte, if I wear a balm underneath they don’t look as matte. They last a really long time on the lips and the color selection is really good. I have two of the kits in Cool Nudes which has Le Freak (pale pink nude) and American Woman (perfect rose) and the Hot Reds with Don’t Stop (bright red) and Cherry Bomb (blue based red). On my lips both of the red colors pretty much look identical on my complexion.

Overall thoughts: Everything performs well and I think the products are priced just right to give you a good value of product for price. As one who doesn’t really like mattes I still find the palettes to have a good mix of shimmer and matte to make them versatile. Compared to last year’s palettes there are quite a few similarities so I don’t find them must-haves. If you’re looking to expand your blush collection though these are nice options to do at a more affordable price compared to buying individual shades. The powders layer nicely together and you can create a wide range of looks to suit your mood. I’ve always been more into the glow so for spring I’m favoring the Natasha Denona Diamond and Blush Palettes and Tom Ford Soleil Summer collection more.

For the lips I think the Powermatte Lip Pigments are really good for liquid lips and long-time readers know I am not a fan of liquid lips in general. I still need a balm to make them less matte, but I like that they will stay put all day and that they have full coverage without making the lips shrink. They are among the few that I actually like and will wear. American Woman is a classic universal shade I think everyone should try. That being said if you prefer a less matte lip try the Velvet Lip Glides. I adore the shade Bound and new colors just launched online at NARS which I’m dying to check out.

You can find the NARS NARSissist Wanted Cheek Palettes and Wanted Power Lip Kits at Ulta Beauty and NARS. P.S. Ulta is having their 21 Days of Beauty Event where each day they have something different available at a discounted price. It runs through April 7th.

Have you checked these out? What’s your current favorite cheek palette? Or do you prefer individual products?

NARSissist Wanted collection products provided courtesy of NARS for review.

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Highlighters NARS

NARS Change of Sheen Highlighting Powders

March 23, 2018

NARS has launched yet more highlighters with new shades of their Highlighting Powder ($38 each for 14 g/ 0.49 oz, made in Italy) in the Change of Sheen Highlighting Powder Collection. There are six shades total described as having a “second-skin luster” and I’d say that is pretty much on point of what the finish is like. They’re powders with a soft glowing texture that doesn’t emphasize pores or fine lines. Colors come in a pretty range of classic options from pale opal to bronze. If you’re in the market for a soft highlighter that will last on the face all day and looks natural these are great options. However if you already own a ton of other highlighters you will probably find color-dupes in your stash.

Packaging is similar to that of the NARS Sunwashed Bronzers, it’s bigger than the regular eyeshadow/blush compacts. Colors as shown below:

Albatross is a pale opal yellow gold shimmer
Capri is a soft pale pink glow
Fort de France is a light champagne shimmer
Ibiza is a soft yellow gold
Maldives is a medium soft rose shimmer
St. Barths is a warm soft bronze

On my skintone Capri and Fort de France look very very close. The difference is slight with Capri being more pink and Fort de France being more beige. I’m right at that skintone though where they look pretty much identical. If you are fairer or deeper the contrast will show up more.

Albatross

Close ups and swatches of each one on the face, starting with Albatross. This pulls very yellow on my skin. It seems similar to the original version in color/shimmer. Makeup worn below is the same in all photos except for the lips + cheeks:

NARS Natural Radiant Foundation in Punjab + Barcelona mixed (swatches of all shades here)
MAC Next to Nothing Pressed Powder in Medium Plus (review here)
Hourglass Arch Brow Pencil and Brow Gel in Soft Brunette (swatches here)
Tom Ford Cream and Powder Eye Duo in Paradiso (review here)
Pat McGrath Permaglide Liquid Eyeliner in Black (review here)
NARS Velvet Lip Glide in Bound for the pink rose lips (review here)
Chanel Rouge Coco Gloss in 716 with NARS Lip Cover in Embrasse Moi layered on top for the nude beige lips (swatches here and here)
Tee by Joie

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Capri

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Fort de France

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Ibiza

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Maldives

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St Barths

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Comparison swatches to the Easy Glowing Palette in Reve Sale (Nordstrom exclusive) and Highlighter Trio in Banc de Sable (discontinued). The trio palettes have a different formula with more glow and shimmer to them. If you’re looking for a softer effect the individual Highlighting Powders are better. If you don’t mind a more intense glow opt for one of the palettes.

Comparison swatches to the MAC Hyper Real Glow Palettes. The MAC palettes are significantly more glowy with the ability to build more for an intense almost wet look.

NARS Change of Sheen Highlighting Powders

One last look, from top left clockwise is Albatross, Fort de France, Ibiza, St. Barths, Maldives and Capri:

Bottom line: easy to wear, glowing, doesn’t emphasize pores, long lasting, soft but easy to build and natural. While these are distinctly powder formulas I do feel like NARS hit it right on point when they said these are like second-skin. They are very smooth with a semi-firm texture. It’s very easy to blend and build. On my skin they stayed on all day from morning until late afternoon without budging or getting too dewy looking. Initially I thought St. Barths was for sure going to be orange on me, but it’s not! If you are an OG NARS fan though you might remember they had a St. Barths Multiple stick that was the best shimmering beige taupe with silver shimmer. I do wish they would launch the original St. Barths in powder form – I’ve never found any color quite like it.

Thumbs up on quality, color selection, finish and long-lasting power. That being said you may want to shop your stash if you already own a lot of highlighters. I do find Maldives to be unique for a rose-shimmer. I think it’s hard to find a good medium pink rose highlighter that isn’t too dark or too pale. My favorite of the bunch is Fort de France, I suspect it’s the most dupeable but it has the prettiest beige undertone that gives the skin a natural glow.

You can find the NARS Highlighting Powders right now at NARS Boutiques and online at NARScosmetics.com. Also available at Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s, Sephora and Ulta Beauty.

Have you tried these yet? What did you think?

NARS highlighting powders provided courtesy of NARS for review.

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Base Makeup Skincare Tatcha

Tatcha The Silk Canvas Review

March 21, 2018

Tatcha launched a new primer called The Silk Canvas Protective Primer ($52 for 0.7 oz/ 20 g, available at Tatcha and Sephora). It’s described as a “multitasking skin-protecting, makeup-perfecting primer is for face, eyes, and lips” that “smooths and makes makeup last longer while keeping it out of skin, helping to prevent clogged pores and breakouts.” I tried it two ways, as an all over face primer and as an eye shadow primer and found it to be one of the best that I’ve tried. I usually don’t like makeup primers because although they do make my makeup look better when applied, they don’t make my makeup last as long as advertised. Also I apply moisturizer, sunscreen, foundation, powder and occasionally concealer just for my base, adding one more layer of primer often seems just too heavy and excessive. That doesn’t even count the days I add serum (which I’m actually pretty lazy about). I’ve found Tatcha skincare to be excellent in quality, packaging design and performance. The Silk Canvas is no exception.

The Tatcha Silk Canvas primer has a velvety smooth feel and comes in a super pale pink cream. The cream disappears into the skin once blended on the face but since I’m very tan I can detect a very slight pale cast left on my hand. Once on the face it is barely noticeable and even applying a sheer base on top will cover it entirely. The primer smooths out the skin and does a really good job at making the skin a smooth canvas for makeup application. To apply they’ve given you a small circular disk with a line indicator. Simply swipe it across the surface until product hits the line and that is supposed to give you enough for your entire face. For me it does give the perfect amount of product. I like the applicator because it will keep the product itself germ-free and from fingers although I’m one who always loses any kind of small applicator (compact brushes, spatulas, stirring sticks, you name it, I will most likely misplace it). I’m going to have to try and be more diligent about these things. Finish-wise it’s not heavy or thick feeling.

With The Silk Canvas there’s no detectable scent. Edit – it is lightly scented but for me there is no detectable scent once it is blended on my face. Your mileage may vary depending on how sensitive your nose is. It doesn’t clog my pores. It feels velvety without being thick. Foundation goes on smoothly and the entire face feels noticeably more matte throughout the day and when I tested it I didn’t have to touch up once. Skin looks smoother with this although I do remember seeing a more noticeable smoothing effect with their Silken Pore Perfecting Sunscreen that doubles as a sunscreen and primer for me. I’ve been out of this and keep forgetting to repurchase!

You may have to do a bit of experimenting to get the right combination of bases. I tested it with a number of different combinations. Since I like to have as few layers of makeup on my face with Florida humidity I tested it with a few double-duty products like sunscreen and serum in one. The primer worked well with any combination of these. Your combo of course is most likely going to be different depending on your skin type and skincare routine. You might apply sunscreen after your moisturizer too.

Step 1: Apply a double-duty sunscreen and primer in one with the Supergoop! City Sunscreen Serum (one of my favorites, also Andrew’s current favorite)

Step 2: Apply a moisturizer, I tested the primer in combination with four different moisturizers on different occasions, ones that worked well included the Tatcha Watercream * (lightest in texture), Tatcha Silk Cream (best for normal to dry skin), Sisley Black Rose Skin Infusion Cream * (lightweight in texture for normal / combo skin), Drunk Elephant Protini™ Polypeptide Cream (another favorite with more hydration than the water cream or sisley, but still good for combo skin).

Step 3: Add a layer of Tatcha’s The Silk Canvas all over face.

Step 4: Apply your foundation base, ones I tested that work well with this primer include the Tarte Double Duty Beauty Shape Tape Hydrating Foundation in Medium Sand (review soon), Tom Ford Traceless Perfecting Foundation in Bisque, Dior Forever Undercover Foundation (I mix 21 and 31, color shown above is 31), La Prairie Skin Caviar Concealer + Foundation in Satin Nude and Estee Lauder Double Wear Nude in 3W1. I did not test all my bases as I haven’t had enough time to do so. But with the ones I did try, I found it compatible with a wide range of formulas.

I always set with powder too. Swatch on my hand below to show what it looks like blended. If you blend more on the face it disappears completely.

Swatches for eyeshadow with three shades from Tom Ford Eye Shadow Quad in Honeymoon which I think has excellent pigment on its own. Swatched on bare skin vs over the primer just using fingers to swatch. The primer makes the product adhere better to the skin with richer more opaque application.

Compared to other smoothing matte primers I’ve tested, the most similar one in effect is the Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen * and Tatcha Silken Pore Perfecting Sunscreen. Tarte’s Timeless Smoothing Primer is also similar and one that works well for me but is thicker in texture as it’s more dense. All of these have a velvety silicone-like feel and finish to them, but I’m really thrilled that none of them irritated my skin or clogged my pores. Your mileage may vary depending on your sensitivity.

Bottom line a solid winner. I do think it’s very similar to their Pore Perfecting Sunscreen, just in a different formula and packaging. The Silk Canvas does a better job at keeping everything matte throughout the day. But their sunscreen doubles as a primer + sunscreen. If you’re dry make sure you have your skin properly moisturized first. We’ve started to see bits of warm weather peek through here in South Florida. I will be testing this throughout the warmer months but so far for the mildly warm weather it’s performed remarkably well for me to extend the wear of makeup all day. Since it keeps makeup on a long time, be sure to wash your face thoroughly at the end of the day. I double cleanse with either a cleansing oil like the Tatcha Camellia Cleansing Oil * or Deep Cleanse Face Wash * and follow with a second round of cleanser which is either one of the Rice Enzyme Powders or something from Kate Somerville (loving the Exfolikate and Eradikate Cleansers right now).

You can find Tatcha’s The Silk Canvas out now at Sephora or Tatcha. I highly recommend giving it a try.

The Silk Canvas provided by Tatcha for review. Other press samples featured have a * next to them.

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Pat McGrath Labs

Pat McGrath Labs MTHRSHP Eyeshadow Palettes and Liquid Eyeliner

March 15, 2018

Pat McGrath Labs has three new stunning MTHRSHP Eyeshadow Palettes ($55 for 12 g/0.42 oz each) and a new Perma Precision Liquid Eyeliner ($28 for 1.2 ml/0.41 fl oz) for spring. Everything is really quite beautiful and these palettes are the first I’ve felt I could truly wear from her line as there are no glitter shades.

First a look at the Perma Precision Liquid Eyeliner. I don’t get excited about liquid liner in general, but when I find a good one I do. I’m more of a pencil or dark shadow kind of person for lining as it’s softer and I can get a more diffused look. The liquid liner is really good. There’s no bleeding and it’s very easy to apply. Color is a rich black and it stays put all day long.

The three eyeshadow palettes literally took my breath away the moment I opened them. They come in sturdy magnetic packaging with a mirror. There’s an elastic string to hold the lids shut but they aren’t really necessary because the magnet is pretty strong. They’re quite sturdy even though it appears that they aren’t hard plastic. The colors are ultra pigmented and smooth with different finishes and textures. I think the quality and finish are exceptional.

Pat McGrath Labs MTHRSHP Sublime Bronze Ambition

Pat McGrath Labs MTHRSHP Sublime Bronze Ambition is the warm option with stunning bronzey colors. The colors in the palette have names on a plastic insert (removed below). The only shade that isn’t super pigmented is the matte brown. It swatches patchy on the arm but it’s one of those colors that applies much better on the eyes as a deepening shade.

Top Row:

Gilt Trip is a shimmering warm champagne gold
Bronze Struck is a sparkling golden bronze
Copperized is a copper orange shimmer

Bottom Row:

Illicit is a perfect deep brown with gold flecks
Throwing Shade is a matte terracotta
Gold Rush is a sparkling gold

MTHRSHP Subversive La Vie en Rose

MTHRSHP Subversive La Vie en Rose is the most trendy option of the three but still stunning. Long time readers know I’m not the biggest fan of purple or pinks, still this one when layered is really quite stunning. It’s definitely not in neutral territory but still has wearable colors. Again, I had issues with the one matte shade in the palette. It swatches horribly on the hand or arm. When I applied with a brush I had no issue, but it’s not going to be a high-impact color like the rest of the palette. It’s best used to add depth in a sweeping motion or with a dense detail brush as a liner.

Top Row

Pale Fire is a shimmering peachy pink seashell (LOVE this color)
Purple Reign is a bright deep purple sparkle
Gold Nectar is the most sparkly shade out of all the palettes, it’s borderline glitter in a warm gold shade

Bottom Row:

Paranormal is a dusty matte purple brown
Rose Risque is a shimmering sheer hot pink
Euphoria is a lavender shimmer

MTHRSHP Subliminal Platinum Bronze

MTHRSHP Subliminal Platinum Bronze is my favorite out of the three. It has the prettiest wearable neutrals that I feel like I could wear for everyday. It has a very earthy vibe to it.

Top Row:

Platinize is a shimmery greige
Smoke and Mirrors shimmery taupe brown
Telepathic Taupe shimmering light khaki platinum

Bottom Row:

Deep Velvet soft brown suede
Ritualistic shimmering plum mauve
Sextrovert sparkling brass-bronze

I’ve been testing these for several days now and find the palettes really work for me. The pigment is really good with the exception of a couple of mattes, but even those are still wearable as blending shades. I ordered Platinum Bronze the day it launched online at Sephora but the entire collection was also sent for review. Turns out this one is still my favorite. Since these are powders and some shades are quite sparkly there will be a powdery texture and some fall out with application, but it’s just like other normal powder shadows. Some fallout is bound to happen. Lasting power is quite good. The colors layer nicely and stayed on the eyes from morning to night without fading. Whether or not these are for you depends on how many of the colors you like in each palette. I find both Bronze Ambition and Platinum Bronze more wearable for everyday but La Vie en Rose is a really pretty option for spring. If you’re in the market for a new liquid liner, I do think the one from Pat McGrath is worth checking out.

You can find the Pat McGrath Labs Spring Collection out now at Pat McGrath Labs and Sephora. The eyeshadow palettes are limited-edition.

Have you checked out the palettes yet? What did you think? If not do you have any Pat McGrath Labs favorites? I love her lipsticks!

Spring collection provided for review. Platinum Bronze and Perma Precision Liquid Liner also purchased by me.

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Tom Ford Beauty

Tom Ford Soleil Summer 2018 Picks

March 13, 2018

Tom Ford Soleil Summer 2018 has launched with some beautiful fresh colors for eyes, lips and cheeks. I did a mega-haul and purchased all the items I’m reviewing today. I have been thrilled with everything! I’ve received a lot of questions about the cheek products in this season’s launch and how they compare to previous launches. There are some similarities between pans and I’ve swatched them below and will add some thoughts below. What I picked out:

Soleil Contouring Compact in Nude Glow ($110)
Sheer Cheek Duo in Exotica Flora ($80)
Shade and Illuminate Glow Stick in Sunstruck ($55)
Lumiere Lip Baume in Lumiere ($54)
Ultra Shine Lip Color in Delectable, Nubile, Luscious, Lavish and Decadent ($54)
Lip Color Sheer in Nudiste ($54)

Cheek products: Sunstruck, Nude Glow and Exotica Flora

There is a new double-ended product called Shade and Illuminate Glow Stick called Sunstruck with a shimmering gold and bold apricot cream. The colors are creamy and quite pigmented but blend beautifully on the skin. You can swipe them on the face and blend on top of foundation without it disrupting your base. Swatches on the arm and hand will show that it’s dewy just like the pan compact Shade and Illuminate, but once you blend it it’s not too dewy and actually has decent lasting power for a cream product.

There is a new shade of the Soleil Contouring Compact in Nude Glow. The shades in this palette are a soft powdery gold champagne, soft peach and pale pink glow. If you remember The Afternooner from a few years ago I’d say the top shade of Nude Glow is almost identical to the Afternooner, and the middle shade of Nude Glow is darker and deeper and the bottom shade is completely different as the Afternooner had a bronzer and Nude Glow has a pale pink shimmer. In the pans Nude Glow has an almost faded look because of the pale shades. I thought these might not show up on my skin but they do! When layered together they all have a very soft glow. Texture is smooth and powdery but they blend seamlessly on the skin. If you need a lot of pigment and color I’d recommend you opt for the NARS Easy Glowing Palette in Reve Sale instead. The Tom Ford Soleil Contouring Compact in Nude Glow will give a significantly softer look.

Then there is a new Sheer Cheek Duo in Exotica Flora. This has the same formula as the other sheer cheek duos which is a unique powder that almost has a creamy feeling. It’s like a hybrid cheek product that doesn’t get powdery or creamy and lasts a long time on the face. If you swatch this at the counter on your hand or arm be prepared to see sheer color. They don’t swatch well on the arms with a brush, so I swatched with fingers. Once applied on the face color does show up in a natural buildable way. This has a medium pink and orange. The colors are very similar to ones from Bicoastal and Paradise Lust. The differences are slight though. The orange in Exotica Flora has more yellow and orange while Paradise Lust is more coral. The pink shade in Exotica Flora is warmer than either Bicoastal or Lavender Lure. On the skin the effect is similar though.

Swatched with a heavy hand to show color. Once blended on the face the colors are a lot softer, but I wanted to show how much you could build. I love that the colors don’t disappear once you blend.

Comparison swatches to previously launched Tom Ford colors including the Sheer Cheek Duos in Paradise Lust, Bicoastal and Lavender Lure

Two Beauty Looks

Two looks below with the Soleil Contouring Compact on the left and Exotica Flora on the right:

Foundation is Tom Ford Traceless Perfecting Foundation in Bisque with Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter #4
Powder is Charlotte Tilbury Flawless Finish Powder #2
Eyeshadows are Charlotte Tilbury Eyes to Mesmerize in Bette + Tom Ford Cream Powder Eye Duo in Paradiso
Brow color worn is Sisley Phyto-Sourcils Fiber Brow Gel in #2
Left lip + cheek is Soleil Contouring Compact in Nude Glow and Ultra Shine Lip Color in Delectable
Right lip + cheek is Sheer Cheek Duo Exotica Flora and Ultra Shine Lip Color in Lavish
Top by Flynn Skye

Soleil Summer Lips

Next are the lips. There are three formulas in this season’s collection. Lumiere Lip Baume, Ultra Shine Lip Color and Lip Color Sheers.

There’s a new product called the Lumiere Lip Baume which is a lip color transformer with hyaluronic acid to plum the lips and change to your pH levels. They launched on color in Lumiere which looks orange in the tube but applies clear much like Dior’s Addict Lip Glow in Coral. On me it transforms lips into a very natural peachy glow.

There are also new Ultra Shine Lip Colors. Tom Ford had a number of colors in this same product name but it does appear the new ones have a new formula along with the new packaging. I don’t have any of the older ones anymore except Quiver, but from what I remember, the older formula had a lot of shimmer shades, had more gloss/shine and was sheerer. The new ones this season are all creams (no shimmer) and have more pigment. Two shade names were familiar in Bare and Nubile, both look different from what I remember the originals to be. Bare looked paler without shimmer, I didn’t buy it. Nubile appears to be a lot warmer and peachier. These new Ultra Shine Lip Colors feel hydrating and smooth on the lips with coverage that is quite impressive for a glossy formula.

Colors I picked:

Delectable is a pale creamy pink
Nubile is a warm nude
Luscious is a perfect mauve
Lavish is a light but bright peach
Decadent is a deep wine plum

I swatched all but one of the Ulta Shine Lip Colors shades at the counter, swatch missing is Ravenous which is a bright pink (wasn’t on the display at counter):

Last there is are two new shades of Lip Color Sheer, I opted for Nudiste a shimmering warm seashell nude. It reminded me of Pink Dune from years ago but this one Nudiste is warmer and more shimmery. I am hoping one day they will re-launch the exact same Pink Dune again. There’s also a stunning plum shade called Bambou. After swatching it at the counter I thought looked very cool-toned borderline brownish so I passed as those tend to make me look corpse-like. I may give it another go later.

My picks:

Swatches on the lips:

I’m 100% in love with everything. Even the cheek shades that have similar colors to previous launches. I always look forward to the soleil collection launches from Tom Ford and this year’s options are gorgeous. If you are looking for something unique and different though I’d say you can probably pass on the cheek products if you already own and still have previous launches from Tom Ford. The cheek compacts are on the extra spendy side so if you are one who takes forever to use up your blush and already have a lot of Paradise Lust or Bicoastal left, you can probably skip Exotica Flora. Same goes for the Nude Glow if you still own The Afternooner, although Nude Glow does have that pretty pale pink glow color.

For the lip colors, I’m really happy with all my picks. The one color I might have skipped if I could do over is Nubile because it pulls warm on me and it’s not the most unique shade. I should have skipped that one and opted for a red or brighter pink instead, but it’s a great everyday neutral. (I don’t test lip products at the counter on my lips unless it’s a brand new tester.)

I did pass on the eye products. There are two new shades of Cream and Powder Duo in Azure Sun (champagne silver glitter + teal cream) and Emerald Isles (gold glitter + emerald cream). I was really tempted by Azure Sun as both shades are really quite stunning, but I rarely wear teal shades on the eyes so decided to pass. There are also two Shade and Illuminate Kohls in Lavventura and Soleil Blanc, also both have shades I don’t see myself wearing very often. There is also the new Eau de Soleil Blanc perfume which is on my wishlist. I got a mini sample to test out and after wearing it a few days have decided I need it. It has more citrus and less powder than the original Soleil Blanc.

You can find the Tom Ford Soleil Summer 2018 collection out now. Available at Nordstrom, Sephora, Beautylish and Tom Ford Beauty.

Did you pick up anything from the collection yet? What did you think?

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Base Makeup Laura Mercier

Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Ultra Longwear Concealer

March 9, 2018

Laura Mercier launched a new concealer formula called the Flawless Fusion Ultra Longwear Concealer ($28 for 0.23 oz/ 7 mL). This a medium to full coverage concealer that is described as weightless, perfecting, hydrating and blurring with up to 12 hours of crease-resistant wear. I received all the shades to review (twelve total) and have been putting these to the test for a couple weeks now. My best matches are shade 2W and 3W depending on the effect I’m going for. Coverage is indeed medium to full and very easy to build. For me a little goes a long way so I only need a tiny bit and then buff everything out with a damp sponge.

I give this formula a thumbs up, although I usually prefer something a little less opaque. I do find that even once you blend it is weightless and melds well with the skin and does not look cakey. Skin does need to be well prepped with a hydrating or somewhat creamy base, but this is going to be the case with any super opaque base so it will blend into to the skin better. I swipe and blend with a damp sponge and set with a loose or pressed translucent powder. It stayed put on multiple occasions from early morning until night without budging. This claims to have 12 hour wear. I did not try this for a full 12 hours, but I did find it stayed put for around 8 hours without any sliding or budging. I did experience some creasing on a couple days when I didn’t have enough moisturizer on – but my skin under the eyes is usually very dry compared to the rest of my face. With this formula I really liked any of the Laura Mercier primers, right now I’ve been loving her Oil-Free version.

The Flawless Fusion Ultra Longwear Concealer comes with a flexible sponge tip applicator. I like the design as it’s sleek, functional and the cap is designed so product doesn’t seem like it will ooze out even if you pump the wand. Color range includes three different undertones: C for Cool Tones, N for Neutral and W for Warm. There are some gaps in the color range for super light shades and there’s a big jump from 3 to 4 in the medium tones. I feel like there’s a pretty big gap between 6N and 6W as well. At the moment not every shade number is offered in every undertone. I’m thankful to have a few shades that will work for me now. Hopefully more shades will be added in the future.

I can work with 2W, 3N and 3W for my skintone right now.

For this review I’ve added swatches under three different lighting scenarios. I do try my best for color accuracy but there are so many different variables. I hope the lighting gives you a better idea:

A few comparison swatches to other concealers I rotate between depending on how light or tan I am.

Shown left to right:

Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion 2C and 2W
Laura Mercier Candleglow Concealer 2 and 3
Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion 3C and 3W
Estee Lauder Doublewear Concealer Light Medium Warm and Medium Warm
Tarte Shape Tape Concealer in Light Medium and Medium
Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in Macadamia and Ginger
Urban Decay All Nighter Concealer in Medium

For me my favorite concealers are still the Estee Lauder Doublewear and NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer. These are my favorite because I find them to be the creamiest. Matte finish concealers for some reason don’t meld well with my skin all the time. The Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion is slightly thicker and more opaque than the Estee Lauder and NARS but I’d say similar in the way it blends.

I have been testing the ones from Urban Decay and Tarte for a while and I’ll have a separate post on that. Both of those have more coverage.

Below I’m wearing the Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Ultra-Longwear Foundation in Buff with the Flawless Fusion Concealer in 3W. I previously reviewed the foundation in this Summer Base Edit post here wearing Dusk. Right now Buff is a little bit lighter and less olive which is a better match for me. On the brows is the Sisley Phyto-Sourcils Fiber Brow Gel in 2. Lip Gloss is the Lacquer Up Acrylick Lip Varnish in Free Spirit (blotted).

Concealer is blended under the eye area to brighten. It blends in pretty seamlessly and there’s no flashback. It’s shown without powder but I 100% recommend you set with a powder.

Overall a solid win for me. It is a little more opaque than I’m used to, but it’s not cakey and easy to smooth so it works for me. I is very easy to blend out with a sponge for a more natural look. I like that this one is easy to layer without it getting cakey looking. The lasting power is great as long as I set it with powder. I have high hopes come summer this will stay put on my face better than most. I like that it’s creamy and melds nicely with the skin. Ease of application and streamlined packaging is a plus. I do hope more shades will be added. I usually try to match concealers more closely to my skin tone. With this formula I like that there is little to no oxidizing in color on me. As you can see from the swatches there’s a big gap between 3 and 4. I feel like there I’m in the middle a lot. I’m in between Estee Lauder shades and also for NARS in the summer. I keep waiting for them to launch colors in between Ginger and Biscuit.

You can find the Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Ultra Longwear Concealer out now. Available at Sephora, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Laura Mercier and all Laura Mercier other counters.

Have you tried this one yet? What did you think? If not, what’s your current go-to concealer?

Flawless Fusion Ultra Longwear Concealers provided courtesy of Laura Mercier for review.

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Base Makeup Marc Jacobs Beauty

Marc Jacobs Shameless Foundation Review + Swatches

March 7, 2018

The foundation I have been the most excited about this season is the new Marc Jacobs Shameless Youthful-Look 24 Hour Foundation ($46 for 1.08 fl oz/32 ml). I was thrilled and thankful to receive a few samples to test in R310, Y320 and Y360. It comes in a wide range of shades with 29 options and different undertones. After trying this I found the samples didn’t match me. Y320 was too light and Y360 too dark/yellow. Anything with an R would definitely be too pink. I ordered Y340 hoping it would be the perfect in-between. I also have their new The Seamless Brush ($38) to review. After testing this for quite some time now I have a luke-warm review on this formula. More thoughts below.

First some notes about the Marc Jacobs Shameless Foundation. It’s a medium natural looking foundation that comes in the cutest squeeze tube packaging. I find it gives enough coverage to make dark spots and freckles disappear in a natural way. There’s no detectable scent. The SPF in the product is 25 but there is no flashback in photographs with a flash (full application below). I like that on these bottles they list the expiration date because so many times I can’t keep track of how long I’ve had a foundation or skincare product. I know that often times the 12 month, 24 month or whatever time period expiration is based on when you open the product, but sometimes having a date is nice.

I had issues with application. I couldn’t get it consistently smooth without the patchy finish. I tried a number of moisturizers and primers and since I know some foundation formulas are not compatible with all kinds of primers, I decided to try this the most with the Marc Jacobs Under(cover) Perfecting Face Primer. As much as I’d love to have 1 universal primer, sometimes it’s just best to use the same brand of primer/foundation because they usually design them with their entire line in mind.

If you have any kind of dry skin, I’d say this is not a base for you. I have normal combination skin but due to the weather right now I’m slightly dry. I found the Shameless Foundation worked best over the Marc Jacobs Under(cover) Perfecting Face Primer and applied with a damp beautyblender. I do really like the new Seamless Brush for other cream products like cream highlighter or blush, but for me it made this foundation streak.

Color-wise the Ys are very very yellow. Most of the time I cannot find bases yellow enough. These are borderline too yellow for me. My best match is Y340, as you can see below Y360 is VERY yellow. I added the Estee Lauder Doublewear 3W1 (also my match) below so you can see that even though that shade is yellow it’s still a little bit more neutral.

The pros of this foundation are the natural looking coverage, lasting power and after it sets it does look nice. It photographs extremely well. The cons are the application – it just never set 100% well on my skin probably because I have some dry spots. All this being said since Florida is about to get hot and humid in a couple of months I’m going to set these aside and revisit in the spring.

The brush is something I really like, just not for foundation. It’s very smooth and soft and perfect for cream highlighters or blushes. For foundation I just really prefer sponges for a seamless blended finish. The size is really perfect – I find most cream brushes too small.

Wearing Marc Jacobs Shameless in Y340 all over the face below, The Seamless Brush held up for scale (although I prefer using a beautyblender to apply). No powder or concealer. Brows are Diorshow Browstyler in Universal Brown. Lipstick is Sonic Truth. Photo is taken with a flash, you can see without any setting powder the foundation has no flash back. I’d still 100% recommend a setting powder for this though. As you can see below I think it photographs pretty well. An up close and personal look in real life would show you this base just sat on my skin, it never really blended 100% to my preference.

Bottom line this formula doesn’t work for me right now. If you have dry skin I think it definitely is best you try something else. Given that my skin will change once Florida gets hot again I have high hopes this will work in the spring. There are things I like and things I dislike about this formula. For now I can’t say I love it. I do love the new brush though.

You can find the Marc Jacobs Shameless Foundation out now. Available at Marc Jacobs Beauty, Sephora, Neiman Marcus and Net-A-Porter.

Have you tried this? What kind of skin do you have and what were your thoughts?

Many thanks to Marc Jacobs Beauty for sending this to review. Y340 purchased by me.

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