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Chanel Rouge Coco Lip Blush + Valentine’s Day Picks

February 12, 2018

Chanel has quite a few new launches this spring and today I’m thrilled to give you a peek at the new Rouge Coco Lip Blush along with some other picks for Valentine’s Day in fragrance, nails and lips. Right now it appears most of these are exclusive to Chanel.com, I suspect they will trickle into stores and counters soon.

First is a selection of options in the scent Chance Eau Tendre. This is a bright fruity floral that has grapefruit, green notes and quince mixed with jasmine and a bit of mush. It’s very spring-like and romantic. If you like this scent in the Eau de Toilette form you can now wear it in a number of ways including the Body Oil Spray (lovely lightweight feel with excellent packaging), Moisturizing Body Cream (luxurious smooth and cooling on the skin) and Hair Mist. My favorite is the Hair Mist because it has enough throw but is still soft enough that it’s not overpowering. The entire line smells like spring.

The Rouge Coco Lip Blush is a unique lightweight gel product for lips and cheeks. The colors are vibrant and bold in the tube but once you blend the color sheers out quite a bit for a soft tint. On the lips I can layer easily for more color – it’s not something you have to pack on to get to show up. On the cheeks however the gel is quite sheer and a tiny bit dewy for a very natural youthful glow perfect for spring. There’s no detectable scent and these come with a soft double sided sponge applicator.

On the lips I apply directly with the sponge. On the cheeks I make three to four dabs of color and then blend with the fingers. I was initially worried that my foundation and powder would get the sponge dirty but as long as you dab lightly there’s no issue. Also these work really well over foundation and powder. As long as your base isn’t super matte and super heavy you can layer on top and blend without it looking like you caked on product on your face.

The six colors include:

410 Corail Naturel sheer medium peach pink
412 Orange Explosif bright orange
414 Tender Rose sheer medium warm pink
416 Teasing Pink bright sheer cool pink
418 Rouge Captivant bold classic red
420 Burning Berry deep brown plum

To me, Corail Naturel and Tender Rose look almost identical on me. The difference is very slight with Tender Rose having just a bit more pink. Those two are also the sheerest. Swatched below blended versus layered to show how much the color sheers out:

Close up of the applicators:

Wearing each of the colors on both lips and cheeks. As you can see below the colors on the cheeks are very sheer when blended. They give just a soft hint of color with a dewy finish. Also wearing on the face is the Estee Lauder Doublewear Nude in 3W1, MAC Next to Nothing Pressed Powder in Medium Plus, Hourglass Arch Brow Pencil in Warm Brunette (I can also pull off Soft Brunette).

Everything is swatched on bare lips, nothing else is ever added unless I list it in the descriptions above. Corresponding color is also on the cheeks blended except for 414 Tender Rose which you can see dabbed on one cheek and blended on the other.

Overall lasting power is medium, on the cheeks they stay put for a few hours but due to the dewy nature they can get a tiny bit shiny looking. On the lips these feel like a weightless gel. Lasting power is good for a few hours and the deeper shades leave a tiny bit of a stain. The lighter shades fade on me fairly fast. Overall thoughts are that these are true to Chanel’s style of the simple classic kind of beauty. I wish the neutrals had a bit more pigment because the colors are PERFECT! They do make for a very nice barely there polished look though. My favorite out of the entire bunch is Teasing Pink. It’s a sheer hot pink, the sheerness makes it wearable for me.

There are a lot of other coordinating products to go with the new Rouge Coco Lip Blush in lipsticks and nail polishes. I don’t have any to review at this time but if you’re interested in anything let me know in the comments.

Last but not least are two classics, they aren’t new, but the Chanel Le Vernis in Shantung is a classic red perfect for Valentine’s Day, but really wearable for year round. Rouge Allure Velvet in Rouge Feu is a classic warm bright red fr the lips if you’re looking for something bold.

Bottom line lots to love for me. The weather is warming up here which makes me feel ready to break out the spring scents. Chance Eau Tendre to me is a perfect warm weather fragrance that’s feminine and light but not too strong. For the Rouge Coco Lip Blush I really like the colors as I think they’re going to be flattering on a number of skintones and would have bought them even if I didn’t receive them as press samples. I’m still trying to get used to the formula as I’m normally not really into gel products but I like that they give a very fresh faced look. Given the lightweight practically weightless feel I know I’m going to appreciate it a lot more once the weather warms up and humidity rises.

You can find the Chanel Rouge Coco Lip Blush, Chance Eau Tendre, Shantung and Rouge Feu all on Chanel.com. For a limited time they’re offering complimentary overnight shipping on all US orders placed by Tuesday February 13 at 2 PM, I do believe anything with nail products have to ship ground though.

Have you tried the Rouge Coco Lip Blush yet? If yes what did you think?

Chanel items sent courtesy of Chanel for review.

28 Comments

YSL Beauty

YSL Touche Eclat All-In-One Glow and Tatouage Couture Matte Stains

February 9, 2018

I have a few new items I’ve been testing from YSL Beauty including the new Touche Eclat All-In-One Glow Tinted Moisturizer and the Tatouage Couture Matte Stains for the lips. The Matte Lip Stains actually launched last fall but Sephora has four new exclusive shades, two of which are nudes so I picked them up to try. All of the items get a thumbs up from me. I’ve had several misses from the line last year so this was a nice surprise to find that everything worked well for me this testing round!

Touche Eclat All-In-One Glow Tinted Moisturizer

The Touche Eclat All-In-One Glow is a tinted Moisturizer that gives sheer to medium coverage with a radiant finish. For my normal combination skin this has just the right amount of moisture to add comfort but isn’t overly greasy. I’d say the closest it is in finish and texture is the NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer. By comparison the YSL is more dewy and the tiniest bit sheerer. For my skin it doesn’t have enough coverage to cover freckles, but it does have enough pigment to smooth out the skin. It feels natural like a lightweight moisturizer and stays on all day. I do need to set with a powder and even though it doesn’t get greasy it has a slightly luminous glow so for me any kind of cream or liquid glow will inevitably get oily looking as the day progresses. Touch-ups were definitely needed, but on warm weather days here in Florida that’s a given for any product.

So many of you had asked for me to review the All Hours Full Coverage Matte Foundation that launched last year, however I haven’t had much luck with the formulas because the alcohol content is usually high on their ingredient list and it can cause a lot of irritation on my skin. I had a pretty bad experience with their Fusion Ink Foundation (now discontinued) so I’ve avoided all the formulas since then. The Touche Eclat All-In-One Glow Tinted Moisturizer intrigued me though so when I saw that the ingredient list didn’t have Alcohol Denat high on the list or anywhere on the list I decided to give it a go. So far after a week of testing, no irritation or bumps, yay!

My shade is B40. Based on reviews of the other foundations I thought I’d be in the BD range but upon swatching them at the counter for now I’ve found the BD range is too olive/yellow for me. This is a rare thing as most foundation lines aren’t yellow enough, but the B range works for me as I’m more in the beige/golden range rather than yellow, at least for YSL.

Swatch comparisons below to Sisley Tinted Sunscreen Cream 2 Golden, NARS Velvet Matte Skin Tint in Groenland and St. Moritz, Estee Lauder Double Wear Nude 3W1 Tawny, Tom Ford Waterproof Foundation and Concealer in Bisque, Natural and Sable.

A quick look with just the Touche Eclat All-In-One Glow Tinted Moisturizer, no powder or concealer. I do have other makeup on the eyes (Urban Decay Naked3 Palette), brows (Diorshow Brow Styler Universal Brown) and lips (YSL Tatouage Couture #25 Beige Secret). Sweater from Madewell.

Tatouage Couture Matte Stains

I picked up two of the Tatouage Couture Matte Stains in 7 Nude Interdit and 23 Singular Taupe back in the fall when they launched. I’ve been using them on and off since then but never got around to reviewing them. Many of the shades have sold out repeatedly, for some reason both 7 and 23 are on backorder almost everywhere right now, but you can still find them online at Neiman Marcus. Since the time they launched Sephora added four new exclusive colors and I picked up two in 25 Beige Secret and 28 Nude Undercover. If you’re looking at the photo below and think they all look identical, I’m with you. They have a frosted clear exterior which kinda mutes the color. The four shades I have are nudes and in the tubes they look almost the same, but they are indeed different once you swatch them.

The applicators are amazing! It has a sponge tip that loads product and an angled flat tip with a little well inside to hold the lip product. Finish is full coverage but weightless and not drying. There’s no shrinking effect when it dries down like most matte liquid lipsticks have so lips don’t look like raisins. My only complaint is that they don’t last all day long like other liquid matte lipsticks do. After a few hours color noticeably fades or gets absorbed into the lips, but I have no complaints about reapplying because the finish, texture, coverage and colors are perfect.

I stuck with the nudes on the first testing round because products like these tend to darken on my lips once they dry. I’m a huge fan of YSL lips but given the fact that Vinyl Cream Stains didn’t work for me I didn’t know how the Tatouage Couture Matte Stains would wear. They’re a huge win! These don’t shift in color, they stay true to what you apply on the lips. If you liked shades like YSL’s Volupte Shine Oil in Stick #47 Beige Blouse or #61 Decadent Nude or even Charlotte Tilbury’s Pillow Talk Lipstick, you’ll absolutely love these.

Swatches:

7 Nude Interdit is a medium neutral nude pink beige
23 Singular Taupe is a warm pink brown
25 Beige Secret is a nude pink (Sephora exclusive)
28 Nude Undercover is a nude pink, cooler than Singular Taupe (Sephora exclusive)

The flash adds a bit of reflection, but they dry down to a more matte finish than what you see below. I still think of these as a semi-matte or a radiant-matte kind of finish.

Bottom line solid wins for me. That being said it’s still winter weather here in Florida, I know in a matter of a couple weeks we will be back to 80 degree warm sunshine so I don’t know how the tinted moisturizer will hold up for me in warm weather.

You can find the YSL Touche Eclat All-In-One Glow and Tatouage Couture Matte Stains at all counters now. Available at Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Sephora and YSL Beauty along with other retailers. Two shades featured for the lips in 25 and 28 are exclusive to Sephora.

Have you tried these yet? What did you think?

36 Comments

Chanel

Chanel Beauty Spring-Summer 2018 Collection Picks

January 30, 2018

I finally have a roundup of my picks from the Chanel Spring-Summer 2018 Collection! I ordered a few items sight unseen from the Chanel website and overall the colors have a summery vibe with lots of brights. I skipped quite a few items as I can’t really pull off greens or yellows very well and some of the lip options seem very bold and red.

What I ordered:

Joues Contraste in Foschia Rosa ($45)
Rouge Allure Ink in Eterea ($37)
Rouge Coco Gloss in 786 Sibylla, 788 Parthenope, 792 Aphrodite and 794 Poppea ($30 each)
Le Vernis in Nuvola Rosa, Verde Pastello and Arancio Vibrante

Up first is my favorite item of the collection which is the Joues Contraste blush in Foschia Rosa. It’s a medium bright coral that brightens the face with a very nice flush. It’s not too dark and not too bright for my skin tone but I do apply with a light hand. It has a soft smooth texture in the US blush formula (non-US countries usually have a baked version for the Chanel blushes). There’s a tiny sheen but it’s pretty much a satiny matte.

Swatch comparisons below to a few other coral/reds:

Chanel Les Beiges Duo No 2 (discontinued)
Chanel Foschia Rosa (spring-summer 2018)
Chanel Rouge Profond (review here)
Natasha Denona Diamond and Blush Palette in Citrus cream and powder blushes (full palette swatched here)
Tom Ford Cheek Duo in Paradise Lust (review here)

Next are the lip products. I’m already a fan of the Rouge Coco Gloss formula (other shades reviewed here). They’re cushiony high shine glosses with a sponge applicator. There’s no detectable scent and the shades are so so pretty! I love all the new spring shades although the blue one is pretty much clear. Colors are sheer with a subtle tint of color. Scroll down a little and you will see some swatch comparisons. There are similar options in the existing Rouge Coco Gloss lineup. You might want to shop your stash if you already own some of these.

786 Sibylla soft peach coral
788 Parthenope honey beige shimmer
792 Aphrodite sheer blue
794 Poppea bright coral pink

There are also new shades of Rouge Allure Ink and even though I’ve never had much luck with this formula I still ordered one in Eterea which is a light but bright pink if that makes sense. I’m obsessed with the color although it is very streaky when I apply it. It needs some layering and drying to make it smooth but the color is so good I’m determined to make it work!

Rouge Coco Gloss comparisons swatches, other colors reviewed in this post:

Rouge Allure Ink comparison swatches, Cle de Peau Radiant Rouge reviewed here, NARS Lip Cover in Summer Fire swatched here, Sisley Phyto-Lip Twist #2 Baby reviewed here

Last but not least are the Le Vernis nail products. There are four colors total and I bought three. Nuvola Rosa is hands down a must! It’s one of the prettiest baby pinks I’ve ever tried and it has full smooth coverage with 2 coats. Verde Pastello is a fun aqua color I think will be nice for toes but to me this is definitely more of a summer color rather than spring. Arancio Vibrante is a very bright deep orange color and the formula on this is amazing – it’s a one coat wonder, but I still usually always apply 2.

Two coats in each swatch photo. For reference you can see my How I Maintain Hands for Healthy Looking Nails post for my DIY tips and tricks. I don’t wear a lot of nail polish like I used to but I probably get salon manicures once every other month now. The rest of the time I trim and cut myself and paint them on my own.

Beauty look below wearing:

Estee Lauder Doublewear Foundation in 3W1 Tawny
NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Ginger
Anastasia Beverly Hills Eyeshadow in Amber and Brownie (review here)
L’Oreal Lash Paradise Waterproof in Blackest Black
Hourglass Arch Brow Pencil in Soft Brunette (review soon)
Charlotte Tilbury Flawless Pressed Powder Shade #2
Chanel Joues Contraste in Foschia Rosa
Chanel Rouge Allure Lip Ink in Eterea
Chanel Le Vernis in Arancio Vibrante on the nails

Quick tip – my favorite brush to apply super pigmented blushes is the Wayne Goss #11 because it’s fluffy enough to pick up color but give a sheer application.

My favorites below, pretty much everything I bought minus the blue and aqua items:

My ABSOLUTE fav items are the Joues Contraste Foscia Rosa and Nuvola Rosa nail polish. I highly recommend both! Most of the collection is limited-edition. You can always see the indicators on the Chanel website if you’re unsure but these days I usually assume most everything is limited-edition.

You can find the Chanel Spring-Summer 2018 collection at counters now. Online at Chanel, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom and all other Chanel retailers.

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

There’s also a Denieres Neiges de Chanel collection out which I’ll review soon!

30 Comments

Cle de Peau Beaute Lips

Cle de Peau Beaute Radiant Lip Gloss Review

January 29, 2018

Cle de Peau Beaute just launched several items for spring and the new Radiant Lip Glosses ($36 each for 8 ml/.25 oz, made in Japan) caught my eye immediately. There are eight shades of gloss all with a radiant and glowing theme that reflect light with subtle shimmers. It’s been a while since I’ve bought any makeup from Cle de Peau although I regularly restock on their Facial Cotton and love their Loose Powder Puff. The last thing I bought lip-wise was the Radiant Rouge Liquid which I thoroughly enjoyed and based on that fact decided to splurge on all of the new Radiant Lip Glosses that launched for spring.

The new Radiant Lip Glosses are cushiony glosses that have a very smooth non-sticky finish. There is a very slight hint of a soft floral scent but it’s a barely there kind of scent so those who prefer scent-free lip products will still be able to wear them. Based on the arm swatches online I expected medium coverage. On me these are sheer to medium, but definitely pull more on the sheer side. Each shade has some degree of reflective shimmer – some are more sparkly than others but every one has a very natural looking sheen.

The eight shades include gem-inspired names:

1 Rose Quartz – pale pink with light gold and light pink flecks, basically clear
2 Warm Crystal – medium iridescent warm beige with silver sparkles
3 Charm – soft rose with a very natural pearl quality
4 Pink Aura – light warm peachy pink with pink and silver sparkles
5 Dream Stone – coral pink cream
6 Rose Pearl – cool toned pink pearl
7 Star Dust – brighter pink with pink shimmers
8 Fire Ruby – sheer red

They come with a sponge tip applicator that has a twist. The wand itself is semi flexible so it molds to the curve of the lips. I love the formula in the sense that it feels comfortable and hydrating. No irritation or peeling the next day after use. I do wish the pigment was kicked up a notch as the colors are gorgeous! But since I have pigmented lips 1 through 4 pretty much look the same on me. The closest thing I can think of in terms of formula is the Chanel Rouge Coco Glosses but the Cle de Peau ones are sheerer, more cushiony and not quite as thick.

As far as lasting power goes they stay put pretty well but as with any sheer formula it’s not going to last for hours and you’ll need to reapply. I just finally tried one of the Lipsticks and the formula is AMAZING! If you’re looking to splurge and love Cle de Peau Beaute, I’d say maybe buy one or two of the glosses but save your pennies for the Lipstick or Radiant Liquid Rouge.

Radiant Lip Gloss + swatches:

All swatched side by side, all on bare lips. On my face I’m wearing the UV Protective Cream Tinted Broad Spectrum SPF 50 in Ochre + Armani Luminous Silk Powder Foundation in #4:

I’m happy with my haul. I think the price point is reasonable, especially since these glosses are from Cle de Peau Beaute. As a gloss I don’t think these are must-haves simply because they the pigment level in real life doesn’t quite match the online swatches. Formula-wise though I think these are amazing. They are nourishing without that heavy feel. Lips feel very smooth and the finish is cushiony without any tacky feel. I think these are really nice glosses, if there was more color payoff they’d be 100% perfect to me, but I like the colors in the lineup.

I do think I’ll be reaching for these frequently in the upcoming months. However my heart still belongs to the Radiant Liquid Rouge and I’m hoping more shades will be launched in that formula.

For now with the new Radiant Lip Gloss, my top picks: Warm Crystal, Star Dust and Dream Stone.

You can find the Cle de Peau Beaute Radiant Lip Gloss at counters now. I bought mine from Neiman Marcus. Also available at Nordstrom, Barneys New York, Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue and Cle de Peau Beaute.

Are any of these on your radar? What’s your current favorite lip gloss formula?

21 Comments

Highlighters Natasha Denona

Natasha Denona Spring 2018

January 26, 2018

Natasha Denona Spring 2018 has two new stunning palettes called Diamond and Blush ($89 each for 6 x 7 g/0.25 oz) and three new shadows called Duo Chrome Top Coat ($28 each for 0.2 oz/ 6 g). The collection is all about the glow with multi-dimensional finishes and textures. I think highlighters and glow are here to stay for quite some time!

Duo Chrome Top Coats

Up first are the Duo Chrome Top Coats which are similar in packaging to the Crystal Top Coats from holiday. The new ones for spring have a more finely milled shimmer with a clear duochrome finish while the Crystal ones were more sparkly. Finish and texture is cream to powder and for me these are best applied with the fingers dabbed onto the lids. Pigment is sheer to medium but buildable. For me the Spring Duo Chrome Top Coats are too trendy for me to pull off. There are three shades:

Brown Mauve/Purple is a mauve pink with purple shimmer
Burnt Terracotta/Green is a yellow terracotta that flashes green
Lavender/Gold and Silver is a pale lilac lavender with gold and silver shimmers

The only shade that had fallout on me was the lavender one. The others went on the lids smoothly and blend well together. Even though the Crystal Top Coats are a lot more sparkly, I feel like I can wear those because the bases are more neutral.

Diamond and Blush Palettes

The Diamond and Blush Palettes are absolutely gorgeous! After seeing them in action on Natasha Denona’s Instagram @natashadenona I was a bit worried these would be way too intense on the shimmer and color. You can definitely apply them and build intensity for a stunning glow, but if you’re like me and prefer a more conservative look the good news is you can blend and sheer out the products for a more natural looking finish. First I need to take a moment to say how pretty the packaging is. The pink is the prettiest shade of pink! The tops of both palettes are identical but they are almost holographic in the labels – you can see below just different angles with the light hitting shows different variations!

Each palette has three different finishes Diamond, Blush and Glow and each finish comes in a Cream and Powder form (6 colors total per palette). Darya is the pink option and I’m completely obsessed with the colors. Everything blends out beautifully on the skin and you can control intensity or sheerness easily by layering and blending. Top pink is Darya. Bottom peach is Citrus.

Darya – Pink Tones

Darya colors and descriptions:

Diamond Glow Cream Base is a smooth champagne shimmer
Diamond Powder is a glittery sparkling champagne with silver flecks (best for me worn on eyes)
Cream Blush is a soft coral pink with a very subtle sheen
Powder Blush is a coral pink
Duo Glow is a pink gold duo chrome cream to powder feeling highlighter
Glow Extreme is a shimmering sparkly champagne

Swatches:

Look below featuring:

Base/foundation is Cle de Peau UV Protective Cream SPF 50 in Ochre
Powder is Armani Luminous Silk Powder Foundation #4
Concealer is Tarte Shape Tape Concealer in Medium
Cheeks has layers of Darya Diamond and Blush Palette Diamond Cream Base + Cream Blush + Powder Blush + Duo Glow
Eyeshadows are the Glow Cream Base + Diamond Powder
Brows are Hourglass Arch Brow Volumizing Fiber Gel in Soft Brunette
Mascara is L’Oreal Lash Paradise Waterproof in Blackest Black
Lips is the Cle de Peau Radiant Lip Gloss in 6 Rose Pearl (review coming soon)

Citrus Palette – Coral and Peach

Citrus descriptions:

Diamond Glow Cream Base is a bronzey tan shimmer
Diamond Powder is a sparkling gold
Cream Blush is a coral cream
Powder Blush peachy gold shimmer
Duo Glow iridescent yellow
Glow Extreme shimmering tan/bronze sparkle

Swatches:

Look below featuring:

Base/foundation is Cle de Peau UV Protective Cream SPF 50 in Ochre
Powder is Armani Luminous Silk Powder Foundation #4
Concealer is Tarte Shape Tape Concealer in Medium
Cheeks has layers of Citrus Palette with Diamond Cream Base + Powder Blush
Eyeshadow is the Glow Cream Base + Diamond Powder layered
Brows are Hourglass Arch Brow Volumizing Fiber Gel in Soft Brunette
Mascara is L’Oreal Lash Paradise Waterproof in Blackest Black
Lips is the Chanel Rouge Coco Gloss in 744 Subtil (also reviewed here)

Based on the product descriptions I thought the Palette Duo Glows would be similar to the individual Duo Glows she launched last year. I found them completely different in finish/texture so instead I’ve compared the individual Duo Glows to the Powder Blush in the palettes (hope that’s not too confusing). I also pulled a couple of her individual Glow Powders to compare below.

Bottom line: very much on trend but not too trendy for me (yay!). I 100% recommend the Diamond and Blush Palettes. The glittery diamond powder is a bit much for my face but I can wear it easily on the eyes as an accent or shadow. Since there are lots of sparkles and shimmer flecks with the Diamond Powder and Glow Extreme there will be some fall out if you apply with a brush. It’s easy to clean up though and once everything is on the face it pretty much stays put. I love that the palettes are glowy but the creams aren’t too emollient so they don’t get oily (at least not on me).

For me the Duo Chrome Top Coats are a pass simply because I don’t wear those kinds of colors. Yes I’m a bit boring when it comes to eyeshadow, but what can I say, neutral is how I like it.

You can find the Natasha Denona Spring 2018 collection at Sephora and Beautylish. Definitely check out the tutorials and swatches on @NatashaDenona Instagram because it will give you a better idea of how much pigment you can build.

Natasha Denona spring collection provided courtesy of the team for review.

81 Comments

Lips Marc Jacobs Beauty

New Marc Jacobs Beauty: Le Marc Liquid Lip Crayon and Cream and Sugar Trio

January 24, 2018

There are some new Marc Jacobs Beauty launches out now for the lips and I have a few swatches of some of the shades! A new lipstick formula is out called the Le Marc Liquid Lip Crayon ($26 each for 0.07 oz/ 2 g). Also new is a super cute set of minis called Cream and Sugar Nude Lip Trio ($25) with a new color of liner, gloss and lipstick called Cream and Sugar.

The Le Marc Liquid Lip Crayons are ultra pigmented smooth chubby sticks. Marc Jacobs Beauty calls this “liquid lip in a stick.” These are one-swipe wonders with a rich creamy texture that feels like it melts into the skin. They have something they also call “ghost pearl” which is a very subtle sheen you can see on the lips to add dimension. Formula-wise these are incredible. Probably the most cushiony chubby pencils I’ve ever tried. They’re super comfortable on the lips and last like a long-wear lipstick. I love that they have a little shine/sheen and don’t look dry like a lot of the current lip trends did last year. The only downside for me and pretty much a deal breaker for most of the colors is that the colors are very dark and bold. As a neutral lip lover there is only one shade I feel I can pull off which is Night Mauves.

I have four colors:

Send Nudes is a deep brown nude, this makes me look dead
Night Mauves is a pearly soft pink, doesn’t really pull mauve on me but I love this shade!
Pink Straight is a super bold bright pink
Plum N Get It is a bold plum

I would have liked some more natural shades or medium-brights like the colors from the Hourglass Confession Ultra Slim line or Chanel Le Rouge Crayon de Couleur formula. But the formula is top notch! Another look + swatches below. Packaging is in a twist-up format and the lids have a special locking feature when you press down so they don’t pop off easily in your purse. I love little details like this!

I added an arm swatch of Le Marc Liquid Lip in Slow Burn which to me is the best neutral medium rose color ever made:

Next is the Cream and Sugar Nude Lip Trio which has a new shade Cream and Sugar. It comes with minis of the Le Marc Lip Creme (peachy nude), (P)Outliner (peachy nude) and Enamored Hi-Shine Gloss (pearly gold champagne). I’m completely obsessed with all the colors and hope this means we can expect new shades in the full sizes soon. The lipstick is full coverage and opaque with a creamy feel (review on the formula when it originally launched here). The lipliner is really opaque and matte so it does tug a little on bare lips. The gloss is super pretty with a sheer finish.

Lipstick and liner have no detectable scent or taste. Gloss has a slight minty scent like all the other glosses. They have a nice cushiony feel and even though this gloss has sparkle it’s still smooth without any gritty feel.

This swatch shows the gold pearl of the gloss better, there are multi-colored sparkles which makes it hard to photograph all aspects of the gloss:

Swatch comparisons to some other nudes for reference:

Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche in Honeycomb review here
Marc Jacobs Screen Test swatched here
Marc Jacobs Anais swatched here
Marc Jacobs No Angel here
Tom Ford Lips and Boys in Bradley here
Marc Jacobs Sugar Sugar review here

I’m completely in love with Cream and Sugar Lip Trio. I’ve bought some of the other mini sets they had which are usually limited-edition. For the Lip Crayons I love Night Mauves. Since I know not everyone is a neutral lip lover like me I do think a lot of women who like bold lips will find something to love. The formula is soooooo good, I do hope they expand the line.

You can find both available now at Sephora and Marc Jacobs Beauty. The trio is limited-edition.

Marc Jacobs Pink Straight and Plum N Get It provided courtesy for review.

73 Comments

NARS

NARS Spring 2018 Collection

January 23, 2018

Spring beauty launches are among my favorite for the fresh glowy vibe you usually see. NARS Spring 2018 has a pretty mix of soft and bold for a feminine look. It’s available online at NARS Cosmetics until February 2nd. At all other retailers after that date (just around the corner!), a few pieces currently also available at Barneys New York. So many of you have been excited about the new Lip Covers as you loved the formula when it was launched last year. I’m happy to see more shades launch although I wish they would make them permanent!

A look at the entire Spring It On collection from NARS, everything is limited-edition:

Lip Cover ($28 each) in Embrasse Moi, Under Arrest, Summer Fire and Hell Gate
Velvet Shadow Stick ($29 each) in Frioul and Galice
Highlighting Blush ($30) in Free Soul
Liquid Blush ($30) in Hot Tin Roof

The best items to me are the Lip Covers. Some have a little bit of shimmer this round and are full-coverage without any detectable scent. These are what I feel liquid lipsticks should be like – full coverage, smooth with a creamy feel and little bit of shine. Embrasse Moi is a pale shimmering champagne that can be tricky to pull off alone, it looks a tad bit streaky when you apply but it is easily smoothed out. Under Arrest is a warm yellowed beige tan cream. Summer Fire is the best shade in my opinion, it’s a shimmering neutral-cool rose pink that isn’t too blue so I can wear it without it pulling to barbie on me. Hell Gate is a gorgeous brick red, on my lips it’s a bit brighter than what I see in the tube but still very pretty. These have a decent amount of lasting power – but they aren’t transfer proof. As long as your lips don’t touch cups or food then they’ll stay put.

All swatched on bare lips:

The only two items in this collection I’m not crazy about are the Velvet Shadow Sticks in Frioul (pretty gunmetal) and Galice (pale green), mainly because I can’t wear the colors. They’re gorgeous and smooth with lovely shimmer but my olive complexion can’t pull them off. I do have this formula in other colors, I adore Nepal and Corfu to name a couple. The ones for spring are very pretty but I put them on my eyes and it didn’t look good with my complexion.

Swatches alongside a few other shades I can wear. NARS Velvet Shadow Stick vs By Terry Ombre Blackstar in Blond Opal and Ombre Mercure for some reason have a similar vibe but the undertone and shimmer make them easier for me to wear. Right now the Laura Mercier Caviar Eye Stick in Grey Pearl is the only grey colored shadow stick I own. Sugar Frost is more neutral but has a similar level of lightness.

For the cheeks there’s a new shade of Liquid Blush called Hot Tin Roof which is a brick color. It’s ultra pigmented and a little goes a very long way. I applied it with just a dab and it was still very intense. Right now I think the color is too deep for me but I’m at my lightest without much of a tan. In a few weeks once the sun and heat returns I will probably get more color quickly and find this easier to wear. The Highlighting Blush in Free Soul is a pale pink with the prettiest soft smooth pearl shimmer. It’s glowy but in a soft way and I’m COMPLETELY obsessed with it.

Swatches below, I also added the Liquid Blush in Dolce Vita next to it (review here):

Two looks, left wearing:

Foundation – NARS Natural Radiant Foundation in Vanuatu
Concealer – Tarte Shape Tape Concealer in Medium
Powder – La Mer Loose Powder
Eyes – NARSissist Wanted Eyeshadow Palette
Brows – Hourglass Arch Brow Gel in Soft Brunette
Cheeks – NARS Liquid Blush in Hot Tin Roof (it’s soooo pigmented!)
Lips – Lip Cover in Hell Gate

Right side wearing:

Same as above except for lips/cheeks
Cheeks – NARS Highlighting Blush in Free Soul
Lips – Lip Cover in Summer Fire
Black Tee – Splendid

I think the lip and cheek items are gorgeous but my top two picks are Free Soul and Summer Fire. You can find the NARS Spring 2018 Collection at NARS Cosmetics and Barneys New York right now. Available at other retailers such as Sephora, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus and Net-A-Porter starting February.

Have you tried anything from the Spring Collection yet? If not what’s on your wishlist?

NARS Spring 2018 collection provided courtesy of NARS.

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