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Becca Light Chaser Highlighters and Liquid Crystal Glow Glosses

June 27, 2017

Becca Cosmetics launched a collection of shimmery colors for eyes, lips and cheeks with their Light Chaser Highlighters ($34 each for 6.5 g/0.23 oz) and Liquid Crystal Glow Glosses ($22 for 5 g/0.17 oz). There are six shades total for each formula and each color has a shifting quality with a duo-chrome finish. The quality of the powders, blendability, pigment and colors are all very good. In terms of color, these seem to be among the most trendy that I’ve seen and although I’m a die hard fan of glowy highlighters I found most of these a bit too trendy for my personal taste. That being said these are designed to be versatile to wear alone or layer on top of other makeup to take your look to a new level of glow so whether or not these are up your alley will depend mainly on your preference for colors.

Light Chaser Highlighters are multi-dimensional kaleidoscopic powder highlighters that come in a smaller compact. These are highly reflective with a duo-chrome sheen. Some have a stronger duo-chrome sheen than others. For me these are definitely best when layered with other regular blushes or bronzers. You can also wear these on the eyes for a pretty sheen. The texture is very smooth and easy to blend. Out of all the shades, there were really only 2 that I feel comfortable wearing.

Pearl x Gold is a yellow shimmer with a gold flash
Rose Quartz x Seashell is a pale pink with iridescent sheen
Opal x Jade is a pearl base with a light greenish-teal flash of shimmer
Amethyst x Geode is a cool pink lavender that flashes a violet sheen
Topaz x Gilt is a bronze olive base with a green flash
Champagne Dream x Bellini is a soft peachy opal shimmer

I think it’s pretty predictable which two I could wear: Rose Quartz x Seashell and Champagne Dream x Bellini. I don’t wear yellow or olive well as I already have a lot of yellow and olive in my skin. So when I layer olive on top of olive, it tends to make me look sallow. I also can’t wear things that flash blue or cool-toned very easily, it often has a sharp contrast that I feel doesn’t meld well with my olive skin. All that being said the colors are beautiful in the pans and texture/quality of the powders are really good. If these flashed warmer colors I think I would be able to wear them more easily.

Liquid Crystal Glow Glosses come in colors that are coordinated with the Light Chaser Highlighters. They are extremely sparkly and glowy but have a smooth cushion-like finish. They are on the thick side but don’t feel sticky and are scented with a sweet coconut vanilla tropical scent that I’d normally associate with a body oil. The good thing is the scent fades after a few minutes and there’s no taste. The sparkles in these are intense. I love shimmer but these are very glitzy. If you layer them on top of a lipstick or pencil the shimmers aren’t quite as dramatic. They have a transparent base so your natural lip color will show through. Lasting power is average for a gloss. They stayed put for a few hours until I had a snack and coffee.

Colors shown left to right:

Pearl x Gold is a white pearl with pale gold flecks of shimmer
Rose Quartz x Seashell is a pale pink with cool-toned opal shimmer
Opal x Jade is a lavender mauve with teal shimmer
Amethyst is a lavender with violet aqua shimmer
Topaz x Gilt is a mauve with blue shimmer
Champagne Dream x Bellini is a peach with opal flecks

On the lips they photograph well but the lip swatches I photographed didn’t really resemble what they looked like in real life so for this post I’m only posting the arm swatches. With the reflective pearl and semi transparent base my natural lip color showed through and didn’t really capture what the colors looked like. In real life they are what you see in the tube: lots of sparkle, crystal and glitz. A couple beauty looks below will show you what I mean about the photographs – it looks just like a shiny gloss as my natural lip color shows through.

Foundation worn is MAC Studio Fix Fluid in NC37. Left photo has Light Chaser Highlighter in Champagne Dream x Bellini on the cheeks and the same shade of gloss on the lips. You can’t really see the sparkle in photographs because they catch the light nicely and the transparent base makes my natural lip color show through. In real life it’s very glittery and glitzy.

On the right I’m wearing the Sunlit Bronzer in Bronzed Bondi (reviewed here) mixed with the Light Chaser Highlighter in Rose Quartz x Seashell and corresponding gloss on bare lips.

One last look:

Bottom line the products are exactly as described. I’d call these next level shimmers with their kaleidoscope finish and to me they’re very trendy. As a conservative makeup wearer I favor the Becca x Chrissy Teigen Palette by far. It’s one I reach for frequently this season. My two favorites are the Champagne Dream x Bellini and Rose Quartz x Seashell. Quality-wise the powders are excellent. Pigment is medium and easy to either sheer out or layer for more intense color. I’ve never been a fan of light duo-chrome colors as the shimmer tends to look harsh on my skin and since four of the six options fall into the yellow or blueish sheen category which don’t work for my skin tone, I find the colors aren’t ones I’d wear on a regular basis. To sum it up, these are pretty good, but the colors are just not my style. That being said, I may be in the minority – the reviews on Sephora are overwhelmingly positive.

You can find the Becca Light Chaser collection exclusively at Sephora, in stores and online and online at Becca Cosmetics. They are all limited-edition. Have you tried these yet? What did you think?

Many thanks to Becca for sending these for review.

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Christian Louboutin

Christian Louboutin Metalinudes Review and Swatches

June 23, 2017

Christian Louboutin launched new shades of shimmering Loubilaque Lip Lacquer ($85) and Nail Polish ($50) in their Metalinudes Collection. There are three new shades of each and they are absolutely stunning. As a huge fan of both formulas from Christian Louboutin Beaute the new shimmers do not disappoint. The colors are highly reflective with shimmery pigments. Glosses have a high shine and luxurious smooth and semi-thick feel without any grit from the shimmer. The nail polishes are highly metallic shades enriched with chrome-like pigments of aluminum and tan opal mica making them ultra shimmery but completely smooth without any visible brush strokes. I’ve been playing with these for weeks and love every single item. Two of the glosses were sent courtesy of the Louboutin team, the rest was purchased by me. I have swatches of all six items today.

The three Metalinudes Nail Polishes have stunning pigment with metallic sheen. Because of the shimmer they do go on my nails to show the metallic chrome more than the base color when they dry down. I find one coat sufficient but prefer two. Below we have Preciosa which is a metallic silver rose, Goldissima which is a shimmering gold with silver flecks, and Irisa which is a cool-toned silvery mauve. I don’t often wear silvers well because it clashes with my olive skintone but this one is really pretty. Out of the three my favorite is Goldissima.

Swatches with two coats each:

Three Metalinudes Loubilaque Lip Lacquers are just breathtakingly beautiful. They’re like the opposite of that matte liquid lip trend and as a lipgloss lover I could not be more happy with these. Preciosa is a pale shimmering pink, Goldissima is a shimmering warm peachy gold, Bronzissima is a shimmering bronze. Pigment is medium with a slight transparent finish so my natural lip color shows through. If you have less pigmented lips the color will show more true to tube on you. Texture is slightly thick but still smooth – if you’re familiar with the Anastasia Beverly Hills Lip Gloss formula, I would say texture and thickness is about the same. These have shimmers but absolutely no gritty feel. Lasting power is very good – it will transfer if you drink or snack, but if you leave the lips untouched they last for hours. There’s also no sliding around or slipping.

These come with the sponge tip applicator for easy application. The ribbon is removable.

Swatches:

Close up of the shimmers:

Swatches next to the other two neutral Loubilaques in Akenana and Altareva reviewed in this post here:

These are swatched on bare lips, foundation worn is the Tom Ford Waterproof Foundation and Concealer in Natural.

Bottom line gorgeous and well thought out colors and formulas. I give them all a 100% thumbs up although I do understand that this line with the packaging and price points is not for everyone. For me, I felt these were completely worth the splurge. I have yet to be disappointed with a nail polish or lip product that I’ve tried from the line. The quality and pigment to be very good. Still $85 for a gloss is indeed extreme, as is $50 for a nail polish. That being said it’s expected from a luxury line like Christian Louboutin. I get asked over and over again if I think the prices are worth it – I think prices of many things aren’t really worth it, but it won’t stop me from splurging.

All the Metalinudes items are limited-edition. You can find them now at Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Sephora and Christian Louboutin. Have you tried these yet? If yes what did you think?

Preciosa and Bronzissima Loubilaques gifted courtesy of the Christian Louboutin team. All others purchased by me.

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Marc Jacobs Beauty

Marc Jacobs Beauty Coconut Collection, Highliners and New Glosses

June 19, 2017

Today I have a roundup of some new launches from Marc Jacobs Beauty. This year they’ve launched quite a few new things including a Coconut Collection with coconut-scented face products, new Highliners in a matte gel formula, and new shades of the Enamored Hi-Shine Lip Lacquers. I reviewed one of the new glosses Skin Deep already in this post here, but thought I’d swatch it next to another newer shade I got in Rah Rah! which is a mini that I ordered as a Beauty Insider perk several months ago. The items I have been the most excited for are the Coconut O!Mega Bronzer and Coconut Gel Highlighter in Dew You? – unfortunately both have sold out online several times, even after restocking. I almost gave up on the bronzer but found it in New York earlier this spring. After I got back home to Tampa found it popped up several places online and also in my local Sephora stores. I am hoping they will restock both again because the coconut scent is to die for!

Up first is the Coconut Collection. I received an unexpected press package with four items but by the time I received it I had actually already bought the gel highlighter and bronzer. I also had the primer (when it originally launched, used it up, but never repurchased). So now I have a couple backups and am well stocked on coconut-scented items. I also received a mini setting spray as a Beauty Insider perk from months ago so I thought I’d review the entire collection here for those who haven’t tested it yet.

Shown above is the:

(Re)Cover Perfecting Coconut Setting Mist (one shown is a mini sample size GWP)
Under(Cover) Perfecting Coconut Face Primer
Coconut Gel Highlighter in Dew You?
O!Mega Bronzer Coconut Perfect Tan in Tan-Tastic!
The Bronze Bronzer Brush (White)

Below is a closer look at three of the new items. The Coconut Gel Highlighter in Dew You? was previously reviewed and swatched in my spring highlighter edit. It’s a light gold gel highlighter that has a quick dry down with a light golden sheen. It’s very concentrated so I like to dab a little with my fingers as the finishing touch where I want to add a bit of a highlight. The O!Mega Bronzer Coconut Perfect Tan in Tan-Tastic! is a really good soft matte bronzer that doesn’t oxidize on the skin. It’s slightly cooler than the Tantric version. Both have a super smooth finish and look very natural on the skin. I usually prefer a little shimmer in bronzers because matte ones tend to look muddy or darken on me but both of these are really among the best in terms of matte options. The Bronzer Brush is so soft and plush – I love the white packaging although if you already have the original one they perform exactly the same.

Swatches below also shown next to the Marc Jacobs Beauty Spotlight Glow Stick, O!Mega Bronzer in Tantric which is warmer (on the face here), and Air Blush in Flesh and Fantasy (reviewed here). If you already have the Spotlight Glow Stick I don’t think you need both – they have a similar effect, unless you want something to mix into foundation then the drops make more sense for that purpose. Also the Dew You drops have that amazing coconut smell, but color-wise they look very similar on my skin.

The Under(Cover) Perfecting Coconut Face Primer is one of the nicest primers I’ve used. It is a hydrating formula that smooths the face and primes it well for foundation. I’ve never been a huge fan of primer so if I buy one I tend to use it up but rarely repurchase. This one did work for me to help extend the wear of foundation. It has a light refreshing feel with a hydrating finish. I do think it’s better suited for normal to dry skin. I’ll be testing out more primers with this humidity but for now I’m perfectly happy with my moisturizer, sunscreen + foundation and powder without adding an additional layer.

The (Re)Cover Perfecting Coconut Setting Mist shown below is a mini that I got as a Beauty Insider Perk. The first few times I used it I thought the misting pump was defective but I read the reviews online and many said to use it as the instructions indicated which is to press down on the top COMPLETELY for a super fine mist. If you spritz it like a regular spray, the mist that comes out is uneven resulting in a splotchy application. If you press down all the way the mist does comes out in a super fine even spritz. This is another hydrating product designed to “revive your glow” and I found it very hydrating – probably one of the most hydrating mists I’ve ever tried. Since I don’t have super dry skin I found it too moisturizing for me. I do think this will be good for in flight since my skin tends to dry out during travel. I’ll keep this one in my travel bin for our next trip. I think our instinct is to do a quick spray when it comes to face mists – the packaging on this one is actually pretty well designed, but not really intuitive unless you read the directions on how to spray it. If you have this one and thought it had a defective nozzle give it another try and let me know what you think.

Up next are two Enamored Hi-Shine Lip Lacquers. Rah Rah! is a new shade that I got as a mini beauty insider perk a while back. It looks like a light apricot peach and the pigment is sheer to medium, but on my lips it transforms into a milky almost pinkish color. Your mileage will definitely vary depending on your lip tone. Since I have slightly pigmented lips this looks more pink than peach on my lips. Skin Deep was reviewed here. I’m completely obsessed with this one! There’s more coverage with these two compared to the first round of gloss colors that were launched. In case you missed it, all the original shades reviewed and swatched here. I did side by side comparisons below of what I thought might be similar.

Last but not least are some of the Highliner Gel Eye Crayons. Earlier this year they launched a matte version. These are really under-rated. They’re gel pot liners in pencil form and truly last a long time without smudging or fading. They have a lot of fun edgy colors but I usually only wear bronze or brown (yes, boring but it’s what works for me). Swatched below are the colors I’ve worn and tried. My favorite is Brown(Out). I may have put the parentheses in the wrong places for the labels but I double checked the names and they’re all labeled correctly. Huge thumbs up for their lasting power. I’ve had and used up RoCoco before and really liked the formula. Make sure you cap them tightly though because they can dry out a little at the tips.

Marigold is a bright shimmery yellow gold, Rococo is a shimmery taupe brown, Brownie is a matte warm brown, Brownout is a deep shimmering brown, Earthquake is a matte deep brown, Irony is a matte grey black.

Below a quick look with:

Foundation worn is NARS Sheer Glow Foundation in Stromboli
Charlotte Tilbury Flawless Powder #2
Marc Jacobs O!Mega Tan-Tastic Bronzer
Marc Jacobs Coconut Gel Highlighter in Dew You? on the cheeks and eyes
Marc Jacobs Highliner Matte Gel Liner in Earthquake to line
Marc Jacobs Enamored Hi-Shine Lip Lacquer in Rah Rah! (which looks more pink than peach on me)

Bottom line if you can find the Tan-Tastic Coconut Bronzer, get it. To date there are very few matte bronzers that work for me. Tom Ford Terra (small size is still the original color/formula), Benefit Hoola and Benefit Hoola Lite are the best ones in my experience for powders. Otherwise most darken or look muddy on my skin. I’m a huge bronzer addict and most of the time I need either a cream or if it’s a powder I need at least a tiny bit of shimmer. Marc Jacobs also makes great matte ones so I highly recommend you try either one.

The Primer and Mist are good if you have normal to dry skin. If you’re like me and have normal to combo skin you may find them a bit too moisturizing, especially with warm weather for the summer time.

If you’re in search of an eyeliner that stays put I highly recommend you check out the Highliners. And final thought is if you can splurge on a bronzer brush, the Marc Jacobs Bronzer brush is one of the softest fluffiest ones I’ve ever tried. Definitely worth checking out if it’s in your budget.

You can find Marc Jacobs Beauty at Sephora, Neiman Marcus and online at Marc Jacobs Beauty. I’m hoping they will restock the bronzer and dew drops! If you’ve tried these let me know what you thought 🙂

Marc Jacobs Beauty items featured in this post sent courtesy of Marc Jacobs Beauty for review. I did also purchase the Bronzer and Dew Drops separately from Sephora. Skin Deep Lip Gloss also purchased by me from Sephora.

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Lips MAC

MAC Lipglass Picks and Swatches

June 15, 2017

Earlier this spring MAC repackaged their Lipglass ($17 for 3.1 ml/0.10 fl oz). They merged a few of the formulas such as the regular tinted lipglass and lustreglass into one. There are some new shades but a few of the original colors have also made their way into the new packaging, but they aren’t all the same – for example the original Love Nectar isn’t the same as the new one. The packaging itself is larger however it appears product weight has dropped quite a bit. Weight may vary per tube depending on when you got them, but I have a few that say 0.16 fl oz/4.8 ml. This isn’t the first time MAC has repackaged a product and reduced product size/weight – I’m still a little irked about when they redesigned their Pigment packaging with less product, but it hasn’t stopped me from buying new shades. Also they do last a long time so it’s not a deal breaker, more just the principle of price per weight.

I hauled 13 shades but luckily I had quite a few B2M empties to exchange for new glosses. Quite a few had sold out by the time I made my way to the counters and I checked back a few times and many were sold out for weeks. By now I think all the colors have restocked (at least online). A closer look at the packaging. The new tubes have a sleeker more modern look to them.

The shade I picked out are listed and swatched in alphabetical order:

Color descriptions from left to right. They have the same signature MAC lip scent with has a tinge of vanilla but isn’t overly sweet. Sticky level is medium to high but it’s not so tacky that it bothers me as long as I wear an even semi-thin layer.

Beaux is a warm tan beige with a fine pearl, this one has sheer to medium coverage
Candy Box is a cream medium pink, coverage is medium
Cultured is a light pink with a slight pearly lilac tinge, coverage is medium
Love Nectar is a semi-sheer light peachy pearl, it’s lost it’s iridescent quality that it had with the Lustreglass formula, but the new version has slightly more pigment/coverage, this one has sheer to medium coverage
Lust is a peachy pink brown cream, coverage is medium
Nymphette is a frosted pink gold with a lot of gold, coverage is medium
Oh Baby is a sparkling bronze with visible shimmer sparkles, coverage is medium
Oyster Girl is a light opal pink pearl, coverage is sheer-medium
Pinkarat is a shimmering pink with gold, more pink in this one, coverage is sheer-medium
Prrr is a frosted pink with white pearl, coverage is medium to full
Spice is a warm brown caramel cream, coverage is medium to full
Spite is a cool mauve with slight taupe, coverage is medium
Steel Kiss is a silvery mauve with silver sparkles, coverage is medium

Lip swatches below on bare lips. Note that some of these are on the sheer side so quite a few of them look similar on me. Of course they will look different on you depending on how dark/light your skin is and also what your lip tone is. On the face I’m wearing the Sulwhasoo Perfecting Cushion in No. 25 Deep Beige with NARS All Day Luminous Powder Foundation in Laponie (I also wear Punjab).

All of them side by side:

Some thoughts about the new packaging and the color options:

Formula of the Lipglass seems to be the same in texture and pigment. They’re semi-sticky for high shine and on me they do adhere well to the lips which makes them last a decent amount of time.
The Lustreglass shades seem to be more like Lipglass formulas now. Previously the Lustreglass was a thinner lighter texture with a tiny brush tip applicator and sheer coverage. Beaux and Love Nectar are both slightly different in color compared to their original versions. I haven’t had time to swatch the old vs new. I know I have owned 8 of the shades in the old formula – if you want a comparison I’ll try to see if I can find them (if I didn’t B2M them) and do side by sides. Let me know in the comments.
Shade wise there are a couple that are really similar. Nympette has more gold than Pinkarat, I prefer Pinkarat just because sometimes I can’t wear a yellow gold easily with my olive complexion. Lust vs Spice depends on your undertone preference, I prefer Lust because Spice pulls orange on me.
Shades I didn’t like include Steel Kiss and Spite. Both look ok in photographs, especially with a flash. But they have too much mauve/grey undertone to be ok in natural light on me. I can adjust them with a liner or lipstick to warm them up though.
Prrr is still as frosty as it was in the original formula, but for some reason I find the new one more wearable.
Oh Baby is a lot more sparkly than I could show in photographs.
If you want a neutral pinky brown color Lust is your best option. However Chanel Rouge Coco Gloss in Caramel and Caresse have way better formulas and smoother coverage. Swatched side by side here next to both Lust and Spice.
I try to do all the lip swatching in a post in one session for lighting consistency. Sometimes my lips can get super raw from all the wiping and reapplying. This round I decided to use the Bioderma Hydrabio Cleansing Water and the following days my lips were 100% fine. Disclaimer is that the bottle says it’s for Face and Eyes. No mention of whether or not you can use on the lips so I’m not sure if it’s safe. It worked for me though. Just a tip in case you want to try it.
Top two picks are Beaux and Cultured for the best color.

Overall I really like the new packaging style (with the exception of the weight drop). Out of all the other color options the only other one I had on my list is Love Child which I love in the original formula. I may pick that one up in the fall as right now I’m not that into plums for summer. Quality and pigment wise I found these consistent with the formula in the original packaging. Colors have changed a bit though. Overall a thumbs up.

You can find the MAC Lipglass at all MAC counters now. Online at MAC, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue and Ulta Beauty.

Have you tried the new ones yet? If so which colors?

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NARS

NARS Haul: Charlotte Gainsbourg, Sun Wash Diffusing Bronzer and Velvet Eye + Lip

June 13, 2017

I’ve hauled some pieces here and there from a few NARS collections. The haul has been pieces I’ve accumulated from the Charlotte Gainsbourg Collection, a couple Sun Wash Diffusing Bronzers, a Velvet Eye Shadow Stick in Siros and one of the new Velvet Matte Lip Pencils in Intriguing. I took this photo about a month ago and it’s been quite a while since I’ve been able to swatch and test everything.

NARS Charlotte Gainsbourg Collection features sheer tints for the face and lips with bold high pigment options for the eyes. I bought all of these from Nordstrom but some colors have since sold out so I’ll link where you can still find them. Everything is limited-edition. Shown below from left to right:

Multiple Tint in Jo (all shades available at Neiman Marcus) – the cheek tints come in three colors and they are super sheer with a dewy transparent sheen. I loved the color of Jo which is a light very light watermelon pink but ended being too dewy on my skin. It does give the face a fresh glow of natural color. To me this entire lineup seems more like something for fall – if you are living in a more mild cooler weather compared to South Florida I think this will still be ok to wear, for me it was too dewy.
Hydrating Glow Tint in Medium (all shades still available at Saks) is something I hated when I first tried it. The product oozed out all over the place as soon as I opened it and the colors looked so limited I thought for sure I would not find a match. I didn’t like the tip because it seemed like product would pool in the tip. I gave it a test run and love the formula. It’s a super sheer formula so colors are a bit forgiving. Still I do wish they made this in more colors. I prefer the Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer formula by far, but the hydrating glow tint gives sheer even coverage and makes the skin look fresh and glowing without being too dewy or shiny.
Lip Tint in Ephelide (all shades available at Neiman Marcus) is a sheer berry mauve. It has an almost jelly like finish. It’s sheer but still very pigmented to give the lips a soft tint. I bought the most neutral color option and love it for everyday or for something a bit more dressy than nude. Lasting power is so-so because it’s a gloss like formula but with no sticky or tacky feel, but it does staying power is decent.
Old Church Street Eyeshadow Duo is something I knew in my gut that I might not like 100% yet I broke my rule for eyeshadow purchasing and bought it anyways. I personally can’t wear teal without looking super tired. This one is no exception. I adore the left side which is a shimmering soft champagne, the other is a smooth matte teal. Both are excellent in pigment and apply smoothly so formula and color wise it’s an A+. I just don’t do teal well so I can really only wear half of it. I suspect I’m going to gift it away to a friend.

A closer look at the Hydrating Glow Tint:

I was able to get samples at my counter of all the shades:

My best match is Medium:

Swatch comparisons to the Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer in St. Moritz and Radiant Creamy Concealer in Custard, Macadamia and Ginger:

Swatched next to a few MAC Next to Nothing foundation shades (all of them reviewed here), I don’t have the lighter ones any more since I gifted them away to a friend as I’m more in the medium range:

Next I picked up a couple things from the regular line including the Velvet Lip Pencil in Intriguing and Velvet Eye Shadow Stick in Siros. Intriguing is a warm rose with a velvet finish. Pigment is medium to full and covers the lip entirely. There’s no detectable scent and it lasts a long time. I’m still a glossy girl at heart but these still wear nicely for me. Siros isn’t a new shade (I believe it was launched in the spring) but I picked it up. It’s a gorgeous light bronzey shimmer which I’m obsessed with. Swatch comparisons below.

Lips compared to the following. The NARS Intriguing pulls the warmest on me (lip swatch a bit lower). For a pencil kind of product I prefer the Hourglass out of the three I swatched for the formula/color. The last three are traditional lipstick formulas, all a lot more pink and cooler-toned than the NARS, but still in the same color family.

Chanel Le Rouge Crayon in Rose Violine (reviewed here)
Hourglass GIRL Lip Stylo in Activist (review here)
MAC Matte Lipstick in Mehr (swatched here)
Bite Amuse Bouche Lipsticks in Pepper (swatch here) and Fig (review here)

Shadow swatches below in other shimmery shades. Siros is the most coppery and the lightest.

NARS Dual Intensity Eye Shadows in Himalia and Telesto
By Terry Ombre Blackstar in Bronze Moon
Burberry Eye Colour Contour in Pale Nude and Pale Copper

Lip swatches:

Last but not least are two of the Sun Wash Diffusing Bronzers in Seaside and Laguna. I tested these immediately as soon as I bought them and fell in love with the soft matte finish they both had. It’s since gotten more humid and wet for weather and suddenly these now look a bit muddy on my skin unless I apply with a super light hand. I suspect I’m just too light for these even though I have a pretty good tan right now. Seaside is the lightest option and also the warmest. Laguna is not the same as the original. If you don’t have the original and are deciding between the Sun Wash version and the other, I’d go with the original. It has a prettiest glow to it without looking overdone.

That wraps up my NARS hauling. Overall thoughts on the Charlotte Gainsbourg collection are that it’s a very pretty collection of products and formulas but seems better suited for fall. If this were THE summer collection for NARS I’d be pretty disappointed as I usually love the fresh warm bronze and peaches they launch. That being said I’ve been plenty busy with the Banc de Sable Palette (now available on NARS) and the Liquid Blush (review here) for my summer beauty fix. I saw a preview of some summer newness on Instagram from @bubblymichelle and hope we get this in the US!

For the two permanent items, I think the NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencils are great for a matte product. They’re not heavy or cakey like traditional mattes. They glide on the lips nicely and stay put longer than a sheer glossy lip or balm. Siros is pure love for me. I love those kinds of shades and finding a nice copper/gold/bronze that isn’t too warm can be a challenge for me.

For the bronzers at this point I’d say they’re a pass. I’ll be gifting these to a friend as well. I really loved them when the weather wasn’t so humid but it’s just the start here in Florida and it will be months before it cools down. I’m more smitten with the Becca Sunlit Bronzers because they have a nice soft glow to them which don’t oxidize or look muddy on my skin.

You can find NARS online at NARS, Nordstrom, Sephora, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Neiman Marcus.

Have you tried any of these things yet? What did you think?

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Beauty Tools Wayne Goss

Wayne Goss The Face Set and Eye Set Review

June 6, 2017

Wayne Goss has added new brush sets to his collection in a 6-piece Face Set ($250) and 5-piece Eye Set ($130). The Face Set actually launched in earlier this year back in March and sold out within a few weeks. It’s scheduled to restock today at Beautylish at 10 AM PST/1 PM EST. In addition to the set, they’ll have each brush available for purchase separately. The Eye Set is still available as a set for now. I’m hoping they’ll consider launching them individually.

By now I’ve accumulated quite a few brushes from dozens of brands. I’ve found only a small handful of new launches different or unique enough to have that wow factor. The latest launch that really impressed me was the MAC 140S (best powder brush ever) but when it comes to brushes I feel like I’ve already found my favorites and I buy multiples of a few so I don’t have to wash them as often (especially when I have an armful of swatching that I do). Wayne Goss brushes however are completely different and I’ve been so impressed with every one I’ve tried from his line. If I had to start over my entire brush collection I would pick his brushes to do it. At first glance they seem like they could be standard brushes just with a well-designed size handle and shape. Once you put them on your face you will really see the difference in how soft and smooth they are. You’ll also notice that they pick up product better and application is SO MUCH better. For years I’ve loved and relied on MAC brushes, in particular the #217, 219 and 239 for the eyes. They’re classic staples and perform well, but once you’ve tried brushes from Wayne Goss, Hakuhodo or Chikuhodo you’ll be floored.

The brushes are handmade in Japan and are cruelty-free. A look at each set and a few comparisons for size/shape reference. I was sent these for review by the Beautylish team but I would have no hesitation splurging the full retail price on both sets. Up first is The Face Set which has 6 brushes.

From the bottom to top, these are designed for both powder and creams. I took a few of these with me on recent trips along with other brushes and these were ones I reached for the most. They’re unbelievably soft and layer product beautifully without disturbing what’s underneath. There are certain uses for each one, but I used each of these for almost anything: powder, blush, creams, highlight, etc.

10 looks almost identical to 02, just with white natural hair, this is a tapered brush that you can use for highlighting
11 is one I used for setting powder, Wayne Goss uses this for his buffing technique, I haven’t tried it that way yet, but I found it perfect to set powder (pressed and loose)
12 is a flatter more dense brush but still fluffy, this is good for contouring and blending
13 is another cream or powder brush, it’s a shorter almost dome like brush, I tried this with cream contours and it blends them out perfectly better than a sponge or fingers for a natural blurred finish
14 is a light fluffy brush, I love this for more intense shimmers or blushes because it gives the face a light even wash of color
15 is a fan brush, I rarely use fan brushes but this is another good one for a light wash/veil of color anywhere

Comparisons to:

Up next is The Eye Set. Out of the 5 brushes I thought I’d only really use 2 based on the shape. I gave them all a test run and found them surprisingly versatile.

Shown from top to bottom:

16 is a skinny tapered brush that you can use to sweep product all over the lids, it fluffs out a bit after you use it
17 is similar to 16, but 17 is shorter and a tiny bit smaller with less of a point, this is a good blending brush
18 is my favorite, it’s the widest that resembles the MAC 217 in shape and size, the softness is something you have to touch to really understand, it’s the perfect all over wash brush for me
19 is a slim tapered brush I thought I wouldn’t use, but it’s great for precise blending and detail application
20 was a surprise for me as well, I didn’t think this would be useful for my eye shape, but it’s a smaller version of 19 and the 20 is perfect for a soft smokey eye to line/smudge, it really doesn’t seem like it would work for that because of the length, but it’s just perfect

Close ups:

Comparisons:

A look at how I tested each one with the Natasha Denona Sculpt and Glow Palette (review soon), Tom Ford Warm Soleil Eye and Cheek Palette (review here) and one of my favorite setting powders the Charlotte Tilbury Air Brush Flawless Powder (shade #2). The brushes were all versatile with powder and cream formulas. With powders they worked well with all textures whether they were shimmer, matte or glitters. With creams they apply product without any streaks which is just amazing. To date only Tom Ford brushes have done that for me and the Wayne Goss brushes are similar in performance and quality.

Bottom line amazing. Many of you might wonder if I think they’re worth owning even with all the brushes I already have. The answer is hands down yes. I’ve been one who always stuck with MAC because I found good ones that worked and they still do, but the Wayne Goss brushes take application to another level. Based on my personal preferences I would skip the fan brush #15 (because I don’t use fan brushes ) and the eye brush #19 (because it’s similar to #20). The brushes perform so much better than other standard brushes. If you already own a lot of brushes made in Japan you probably have some of the best ones on the market. I don’t own a lot with the exception of a few so I don’t have a lot of repeats.

You can find the Wayne Goss brushes available online at Beautylish. The Eye Set is in stock now, the Face Set (and individual ones) restock today at 10:00 AM PST. Have you tried these? What are your thoughts? If not what are your go-to makeup tools?

Many thanks to Beautylish for sending The Face Set and The Eye Set for review.

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Bronzer + Blush NARS

NARS Liquid Blush and Orgasm Collection Review

June 1, 2017

NARS has some new launches for the summer including a new cheek product called Liquid Blush ($30 for 0.5 fl 0z/15 ml) and a three-piece Orgasm Collection which features the new liquid blush formula, a special edition packaging Orgasm Powder Blush ($30 for 0.16 oz/4.8 g) and an Orgasm Lipstick ($28 for 0.12 oz/3.4 g). The Orgasm powder blush was one of my first high-end purchases many years ago and I used that blush with the Laguna Bronzer religiously (before my blogging days). Any extension of either colors always gets me excited. Something about a peachy pink gold shimmer just gets me. Up first is the NARS Orgasm Collection features three items: two cheek items and one lipstick.

For some reason I thought the Orgasm Lipstick already existed but perhaps I got this confused with the lip gloss version. The lipstick is a pretty peachy pink gold shimmer with a sheer finish. It gives the lips a pink peach gold tinge for a gorgeous summery look. It’s shimmery but not overly frosted and I like the look of it. It has a moisturizing feel without having too much slip. The Powder Blush has a special-edition packaging on the exterior with pink lettering and on the mirror there’s a little hashtag phrase embossed onto the surface adding a fun touch. The Orgasm Liquid Blush is a new formula of super pigmented but blendable liquid. It has a thin texture and this one appears more pink than the powder version. There is shimmer in the product but on my face I don’t see any – it just gives the skin a very soft pink glow in the most natural way I’ve ever seen.

I don’t have the lip gloss version of Orgasm, but I do have the Illuminator. Here they are swatched side by side. For the most part the Orgasm Powder blush has looked like a blush on me. Now that I’m a few shades darker it feels more like a highlighter on my medium tan skin. For more of a blush version right now I prefer Luster or Torrid for that peachy look.

The Liquid Blush comes in four shades: Orgasm is the lightest, a soft pink with gold shimmer, Luster is a soft peach apricot with gold shimmer, Torrid is a warmer/deeper coral peach, Dolce Vita is a matte rose. The finish of these is somewhere in between glowy and satiny. They have a very fluid pigmented texture and look almost scary pigmented straight out of the pump but they blend out easily. The bottles are on the small/tiny side but a little goes a long way so I really only need 1 pump for the face. Application-wise I used my fingers to dab and blend. You can use a brush or a sponge. I like that they blend but don’t disappear on the skin once you swipe to blend. The pigment is truly easy to control depending on how much color you want. There’s no detectable scent. Lasting power is very good for a non-powder formula – they don’t slide off and color-wise they don’t darken or oxidize (yay!). My favorite is Torrid.

It has moisturizing ingredients to give the skin a healthy looking natural glow without being too dewy. At the same time these have a satiny finish. The swatches look scary but I promise they can be blended out to a natural finish. Left to right below is Orgasm, Luster, Torrid and Dolce Vita. These come in a frosted small glass bottle with a pump.

Below I swatched them with a heavy hand but they will blend out for a sheerer finish. You can also layer powder blush on top for more intensity without the color looking too heavy. Definitely check out Karen’s post on Makeup and Beauty Blog to see how these compare to their powder versions (her post is super helpful!).

Swatches below, top left is Orgasm, top right is Luster (Orgasm Lipstick on both sides)

Bottom left is Torrid (Orgasm Lipstick), bottom right is Dolce Vita (with Dolce Vita Lip Gloss)

Foundation worn is Tom Ford Waterproof Foundation in Sable

One last look:

Bottom line the liquid blush is a win. I find that both Luster and Torrid are great colors for me right now. Blended out they look similar on my skintone, but one is clearly lighter than the other. Dolce Vita has always been a tricky one for me as dusty rose colors tend to look dark against my olive skintone. The liquid version looks more rosy than brown which is workable, I just prefer peachy shades or bronzey colors. Orgasm Liquid blush is more pink than a peachy-pink-gold but I actually like it better than the powder blush version.

For the Orgasm Collection I was pleasantly surprised by the lipstick. It’s a nice peachy-pink-gold shimmer that I want to wear all summer long. It is on the sheer side though so if you want more color than shine you may have to add a liner underneath and blend it out. The blush is a nice addition with the added details on the packaging but if you already own it, no need to get another one. A number of you have asked if I’ll be reviewing the NARSissist Loaded Eyeshadow Palette and I’m still undecided. I don’t need another eyeshadow palette and have this one from Kat Von D Beauty and this one from Tom Ford on my radar so I’m trying to hold out. The reviews on the NARS one are overwhelmingly positive though so perhaps I need to take a trip to Sephora this weekend to look at it again. If you have any thoughts on it let me know.

You can find the Liquid Blush and Orgasm Collection online and in stores at Sephora and NARS Cosmetics. The Liquid Blush launches today! Have you tried these yet? What did you think?

Items in this post provided courtesy of NARS for review consideration.

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