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Glossier Black Tie Set for Holiday 2016

November 16, 2016

Glossier Black Tie Set

Glossier just launched their limited-edition Black Tie Set ($50) for holiday and it comes packaged in the cutest white box with a satin black ribbon. Inside you get four full-sized beauty products including a clear lip gloss, No. 1 Eye Pencil in Graphite, Nail Polish in #glossierpink and Haloscope Highlighter in Moonstone. The packaging is so perfect: cute, feminine, glam all in one and I just couldn’t resist ordering one out of curiosity and I’m glad I did.

Glossier Black Tie Set

The set is designed to give you a “Glossier party look.” To me all the items have an understated, subtle barely-there kind of glow rather than a party vibe unless you’re the kind of girl who likes to party without much makeup. When I think about each item individually: I really didn’t need another clear lip gloss, I have a number of highlighters that I already love and use, the graphite liner is something I wouldn’t really pick out on my own as I tend to gravitate towards bronze shades, and the pink nail polish seemed a bit basic. In spite of all these feelings I still really love this set and love the youthful fun vibe it gives. Thoughts on each of the items:

  • The Glossier Lip Gloss is clear but comes with a pink tint giving it a special girly kind of feel. It’s thick and slightly sticky but not tacky.
  • The Moonstone cheek highlighter is very sheer and dewy with a youthful feel. It has an emollient feel with a dewy finish reminding me of the RMS Living Luminizer but in packaged in a twist up tube.
  • The #glossierpink nail polish exceeded my expectations in formula and the brush is really good. Almost a Dior kind of good. The color appears to be your basic kind of pink but on the fingers with two coats it has extremely good smooth coverage and gives a feminine dainty kind of feel. It lasted on my hands for a good 7 days without any tip wear but you do need to use a good base coat to make it stick/adhere to the nails. I used Formula X The System Originals base and top coat when testing.
  • The No. 1 Pencil in Graphite is a shimmery gunmetal, it has just the right amount of shimmer without being glittery, texture is smooth

Glossier Black Tie Set - Holiday 2016

A closer look at each item, first swatches of the whole set:

Glossier Black Tie Set Swatches

The Lip Gloss:

Glossier Black Tie Set Lip Gloss

Glossier Black Tie Set Lip Gloss Swatch

The Eyeliner in Graphite and Haloscope Highlighter in Moonstone:

Glossier Holiday 2016Glossier Black Tie Set for Holiday 2016

Haloscope Highlighter comparison swatches:

Glossier Moonstone, Quartz and Topaz

#Glossierpink Nail Polish:

#Glossierpink Nail Polish

Glossier Black Tie Set for Holiday 2016

Look, wearing all the items this set and Tom Ford Waterproof Foundation/Concealer in Bisque set with Laura Mercier Candleglow Setting Powder #2.

Glossier Black Tie Set Beauty Look

One last look below of the nail polish, it’s applied with two coats:

Glossier Black Tie Set for Holiday 2016

Overall I love the set even if it doesn’t really give me a party look. I did expect to like it as much as I do especially since I think Glossier items more for the super minimalist no-makeup kind of girl. The items are still well made and fun. There’s a very youthful vibe to this set which I think is what appeals to me. The packaging is just too cute. I love that the clear gloss has a pinkish tint to the formula.

The set is limited-edition and retails for $50, available exclusively online at Glossier. You can save 10% off your first order by clicking this referral link. I think this was worth the price and am really happy with everything. If you’ve tried this set or other Glossier items let me know in the comments!

Quick note – I’ve had some site updates and changes and it appears some of you haven’t been able to post comments. I’m working to get this fixed, in the meantime thank you for your patience!

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Charlotte Tilbury

Holiday Glam with Charlotte Tilbury World of Legendary Parties and Film Noir Nights Set

November 14, 2016

Charlotte Tilbury’s beauty line is one of the most glamorous cosmetic and skincare lines I’ve tried. The first items I bought from her line were the Filmstar Bronze and Glow and K.I.S.S.I.N.G Lipsticks and I’ve been hooked ever since. For holiday she has some beautiful gift options I think anyone would love to receive and I’m excited to give you a look at two limited-edition sets for this season including her World of Legendary Parties 2016 Holiday Advent Calendar ($200) and Film Noir Night Lipstick and Eyeliner Set ($49). Both are truly gorgeous.

Up first is the World of Legendary Parties gift set. It’s hands down one of the most luxurious beauty sets for this holiday. Charlotte Tilbury describes this as containing her “beauty secrets in 12 magical makeup cabinets,” and of course when she adds the words “magic” to any of her products I’m immediately intrigued. The set is boxed in the most adorable pink, plum and gold printed box with pull out drawers. Each little compartment reveals a beauty treat. A look inside the box:

The gift box contains 12 beauty products. At $200 this is quite the splurge but it does contain five full-size products with a total retail value of $135 so the remaining $65 for 7 minis is pretty reasonable. I’ll add notes on items I’ve tried before:

  • Mini Magic Cream 15 ml / 0.5 fl oz – I’ve bought and finished up a full-size of this and loved it, it’s a great everyday moisturizer that hydrates, smoothes and replumps the skin, the full size is spendy but a little goes a long way and mine lasted over a year (I used mine around 2-3x per week because I alternate moisturizers)
  • Mini Wonderglow 15 ml / 0.5 fl oz is a what she calls an Instant Flash Primer, it’s a liquid illuminator you can use all over the face on top of moisturizer and under foundation to give the skin a glow or mix in with your foundation to add a diffused shimmer glow, it’s very natural and sheer and gives the skin a lovely dewy finish without being too shimmery or thick
  • Mini Multi Miracle Glow 15 ml / 0.5 fl oz is deep cleaning face balm that transforms from a cream to oil when massaged into the skin, you can also use this as an overnight mask and will leave your skin baby soft, if you find cleansing oils too runny this balm is a great alternative because it won’t slide around your face or into your eyes
  • Mini Goddess Skin Clay Mask 15 ml / 0.5 fl oz is one of the few items I’ve tried from her line that I wasn’t crazy about but this is a very hydrating mask and as I have normal combination skin this one was too rich for me, but my girl friends swear by it
  • Mini Take It All Off Eye Makeup Remover 30 ml / 1.0 fl oz is something I’ve had on my wishlist for ages but always! It’s a gentle soothing remover that’s effective
  • Mini Supermodel Body 15 ml / 0.5 fl oz is such a pretty champagne golden body shimmer, I don’t usually wear body shimmers but in the summer I love this one on the legs or shoulders on date nights

 

  • Full Size Eyes to Mesmerise: Marie Antoinette 7 ml / .24 fl oz is one of the prettiest champagne tan brown shimmers, I bought 5 of the 6 shades she has and it’s among my top picks for cream shadows, they’re great for an all over wash on the lids for an easy look – just add liner and mascara with this one and your look is complete
  • Full Size K.I.S.S.I.N.G. Lipstick: Penelope Pink is one of the best nude pinks that won’t wash out my complexion or pigmented lips
  • Full Size Colour Chameleon: Black Diamonds 1.6 g / 0.06 oz is a pretty sparking grey black with silver flecks, this one is perfect for a smokey eye with sparkle especially for the upcoming holiday season
  • Full Size Exclusive Pocket Pout: Jessica Red 3.5 g / 0.12 oz is a dramatic true red in a small mirrored compact with an embossed lip print, see the swatches below, it’s the ultimate glam red
  • Mini Legendary Lashes 4 ml / 0.13 fl oz
  • Full Size Lip Lustre: Sweet Stiletto 3.5 ml / 0.12 oz is the perfect medium pink with a hint of warmth

 

 A closer look at the box:

 

 

 

Next is the Film Noir Night Lipstick and Eyeliner Set which has a Matte Revolution Lipstick in Opium Noir (full size 3.5 g / 0.12 oz) in a deep plum red vamp and Rock N Kohl in Bedroom Black (also full size 1.2 g / 0.04 oz). It’s cased in a plum and rose gold box that has a little mirror with lights inside. I’ve tried other shades of her Matte Revolution lipstick (reviewed and swatched here) and it’s among the best in mattes that I’ve tried. I’ve also tested out a few other shades of her Rock N Kohl eyeliner but hadn’t tried the black before. It’s an ultra smooth eyeliner that is rich, deep, doesn’t tug and stays put along my upper lashes all day. Right now Opium Noir is exclusive to this set. The look for this is perfect for a fall to winter dramatic but simple classic kind of look.

 

 

 

 

Below are swatches of all the lip products in both sets, and as always swatches are on bare lips. For skintone reference I’m wearing the Charlotte Tilbury Magic Foundation in Shade #6 with Airbrush Flawless Finish Powder in Shade #2 (the powder is my holy grail and I’ve hit pan on several).

 

 

One last look:

 

 

Bottom line: glamorous and gorgeous. Her products are splurge-worthy and if you have someone extra special you want to surprise this holiday season there are lots of Gift Options at different price points on her Gifts For Her page. The quality is always on point and pigment and textures work very well to look good with a healthy flush of color. She has a wide range of lip colors and her nudes/pinks are very good and they work on my pigmented lips without washing out the complexion. If you haven’t checked out her holiday Legendary Muse Eyeshadow Palette I think it’s a holiday must (also available in this cute Dreamy Look in a Clutch set).

 

Have you checked out the holiday launches yet? If yes which ones? If not do you have any favorites from her line? You can find both her World of Legendary Parties 2016 Holiday Advent Calendar ($200) and Film Noir Night Lipstick and Eyeliner Set ($49) online at Charlotte Tilbury.

 

Many thanks to Charlotte Tilbury for partnering to sponsor this post. As always all opinions my own.

 

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Eye Makeup Highlighters Holiday Gift Guide Tom Ford Beauty

Tom Ford Beauty Winter Soleil Eye and Cheek Palettes and Lip Foil Picks – Holiday 2016

November 12, 2016
Tom Ford Winter Soleil 2016 - The Beauty Look Book

The Tom Ford Beauty Winter Soleil collection has been on my radar for weeks now and I finally caved and splurged on the Soleil Eye and Cheek Palettes in Warm and Cool ($155 each for 0.45 oz / 12.8 g) and four of the Lip Foils ($53 each for 0.1 oz / 3 g). I’m getting this post up quickly for those who are Sephora VIBs in case you want swatches to help you decide on purchasing decisions for the sale so I haven’t been able to do extensive testing. This is going to be more of a first impressions post but having used Tom Ford beauty products for years I can pretty much tell how they will perform right away. Everything is cased in the white and gold packaging with a glowy shimmery feel for holiday. 

Up first are the Lip Foils which are ultra shimmery lipsticks. They have ultra fine mica to give them a reflective look and feel making them almost like foil. If you don’t like frost I’d recommend you try to see if you can swatch before buying sight unseen as these are pricey. I find adding a clear gloss or balm on top helps soften the foiled look (I do it with a lot of MAC Frost Lipsticks). I swatched these at the counter and wanted all six of the colors but limited myself to four.

Tom Ford Winter Soleil 2016 - The Beauty Look Book

Private Life is stunning warm gold foil, Spanish Flame is a peachy metallic, Venus Rising is a cool pink frost, Seadragon is the most stunning metallic plum I’ve ever seen. Pigment is excellent and smooth with easy to build color. Texture is smooth but since these are very metallic they look frosty on the lips. They have a comforting smooth feel on the lips and while they aren’t hydrating they don’t dry out the lips. My heart belongs to Venus Rising and Seadragon but as I know shimmer might not be your thing these won’t be everyone.

Tom Ford Winter Soleil 2016 Lip Foils - The Beauty Look Book

Tom Ford Winter Soleil 2016 - The Beauty Look Book

All four shown on my bare lips, for foundation I’m wearing the Tom Ford Waterproof Foundation in Bisque reviewed and swatched in this post here.

Tom Ford Winter Soleil 2016 Lip Foils - The Beauty Look Book

Two sets of comparisons, note that the Lips and Boys I have were from previous years so some of the shades you might not be available anymore.

Set 1:
Dior Diorific Matte Lipstick in Golden (review here)
Tom Ford Lips and Boys in Rory (from 2014, review here)
Tom Ford Lip Foil in Private Life
Tom Ford Lip Color in Guilty Pleasure (review here)
Tom Ford Lip Color Sheer in Skinnydip (review here)
Tom Ford Lip Color in Spanish Pink
Tom Ford Lip Color Matte in First Time (review here)

Set 2:
Tom Ford Lip Color Shine in Quiver (on lips here)
Tom Ford Lip Foil Venus Rising
Tom Ford Lips and Boys in Ansel, Jake, Jude, Drake, Daniel (from 2015, on lips here)
MAC Frost Lipstick in Plum Dandy
MAC Frost Lipstick in “O”

Tom Ford Winter Soleil 2016 - The Beauty Look Book

Up next are the Soleil Eye and Cheek Palettes which I completely love – 100%! It’s hard to pick a favorite as both are very good. The texture of the blush and highlighters are silky smooth and buttery soft. The blushes have a lovely natural looking glow on the complexion while I find the highlighters to be more shimmery. The pigment is soft but impressive. Eyeshadows have a mix of shimmer and glitters and are also incredibly soft and well pigmented. They apply on the lids effortlessly for a lovely glow. Both are on the glowy shimmery side.

Both are cased in white and gold rectangular compacts that have an almost clutch-like look to them. They are well made even though they are plastic and have a magnetic closure – for some reason I really like the way the compacts close.

The Soleil Eye and Cheek Palette in Cool has a cool pink blush, cool light pink highlighter, glitter light pink, glitter light lilac, shimmery violet grey, deep plum shimmer. If I were forced to pick just one I would pick this one which surprised me as I usually prefer warmer tones.

Tom Ford Beauty Winter Soleil 2016 Eye Cheek Palette Cool - The Beauty Look Book

Tom Ford Beauty Winter Soleil 2016 Eye Cheek Palette Cool - The Beauty Look Book

The Soleil Eye and Cheek Palette in Warm is simply stunning. It only has 1 glitter eyeshadow color. Shades in this are a yellow gold, warm tan gold glitter, soft sandy champagne tan, satiny brown and a soft champagne highlighter.

Tom Ford Beauty Winter Soleil 2016 Eye Cheek Palette Warm - The Beauty Look Book

Tom Ford Beauty Winter Soleil 2016 Eye Cheek Palette Warm - The Beauty Look Book

Palettes next to each other so you can see the undertone difference:
Tom Ford Beauty Winter Soleil 2016 Eye Cheek Palettes - The Beauty Look Book

As many of you might be wondering how the shadows in these holiday palettes might compare to existing Tom Ford Eye Color Quads I pulled three to compare including Orchid Haze, Seductive Rose and Nude Dip.

Tom Ford Orchid Haze, Soleil Eye/Cheek Cool, Seductive Rose, Soleil Warm, Nude Dip

All of these made a significant dent in my wallet but I’m thrilled with everything. If I had to narrow down my picks I would skip two of the lip foils in Private Life and Spanish Flame simply because I have similar shimmery colors in my current stash.

I think both palettes are must haves but I am a die hard Tom Ford Beauty fan and love all things glowy that come in pretty packages. These fulfill all of my makeup dreams in terms of palettes and while I do think they should be priced at lower price points, given the price tag of their quads I think it does make sense. I think my readers are split in how they feel about shimmer. I do think everything in this collection is more on the shimmery and glowy side, but I really love the palettes and the lip foils can be toned down easily with clear gloss.

There are a few more items in the Winter Soleil Collection including 2 more Lip Foils in Creme Conque (gorgeous light pink) and Aperture (stunning bronze), Soleil Blanc Dry Oil Spray, Face Protect Broad Spectrum SPF 50 and a Soleil Brush Kit. All are very spendy and as I already have the Soleil Blanc perfume I decided to stick with it (although I haven’t tried the spray, I forgot to check at the counter).

The Winter Soleil collection is limited-edition. You can find all items at Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Net-A-Porter, Sephora, Selfridges and other Tom Ford Beauty locations. If you’re a Sephora VIB don’t forget you can save 20% off your orders with code 20VIB through 11/14.

These have been out for a few weeks now, did you check out anything yet?

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Clarins

Clarins Holiday Glow Getters Advent Calendar Gift Set – Holiday 2016

November 10, 2016
Clarins Holiday Glow Getters Advent Calendar Gift Set

 

Clarins has a lot of great holiday sets this season and I’m beyond excited to share that they’ve launched their Holiday 2016 Advent Calendar in the US this year! Beauty Advent Calendars have been rare in the US and I’ve always been so jealous of my European friends who have them in their stores. This year quite a few brands have jumped on the bandwagon and as a beauty junkie I’m beyond thrilled. It’s always fun to sample lots of minis.

 

The Clarins Holiday 2016 Advent Calendar is limited-edition and currently available exclusively online at Clarins. It retails for $125 and has 20 mini-sample sized and some full-sized beauty products and 5 fun accessories like charms and gift tags. I really wanted to wait until December to open up each box per day but then I wouldn’t be able to share it with you.

 

Clarins Holiday Glow Getters Advent Calendar Gift Set

Inside the box you get:

  • Booster Detox Full-Size, 0.5 Oz. Net Wt.
  • Beauty Flash Balm Full-Size, 1.7 Oz. Net Wt.
  • Instant Light Lip Comfort Oil 01 Honey Full-Size, 0.1 Oz Net Wt.
  • Hand and Nail Treatment Cream
    Deluxe Travel-Size, 1.7 Oz Net Wt.
  • Eau Dynamisante Travel-Size, 0.5 Fl. Oz.
  • Toning Lotion with Camomile – Normal to Dry Skin Travel-Size, 1.7 Fl. Oz.
  • Blush Prodige Illuminating Cheek Colour 02 Soft Peach Miniature, 0.1 Oz. Net Wt.
  • Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch Miniature, 0.13 Oz. Net Wt.
  • Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector 01 Rose Shimmer Miniature, 0.15 Oz. Net Wt.
  • Crayon Khôl Eye Pencil 01 Carbon Black Miniature, 0.013 Oz. Net Wt.
  • Wonder Perfect Mascara 01 Wonder Black Miniature, 0.1 Oz. Net Wt.
  • Instant Light Radiance Boosting Complexion Base 01 Rose Miniature, 0.3 Oz. Net Wt.
  • Instant Eye Make-Up Remover Sample-Size, 0.3 Fl. Oz.
  • Cleansing Milk With Alpine Herbs – Normal or Dry Skin Sample-Size, 0.3 Oz. Net Wt.
  • Gentle Refiner Exfoliating Cream with Microbeads Sample-Size, 0.1 Oz. Net Wt.
  • HydraQuench Intensive Serum Bi-Phase Sample-Size, 0.1 Fl. Oz.
  • HydraQuench Cream – Normal to Dry Skin Sample-Size, 0.1 Oz. Net Wt.
  • HydraQuench Moisture Replenishing Lip Balm Sample-Size, 0.1 Oz. Net Wt.
  • Blue Orchid Face Treatment Oil Sample-Size, 0.17 Fl. Oz.
  • One-Step Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser Sample-Size, 0.1 Oz. Net Wt.
  • 3 gift bag accessories
  • 3 gift tags

 

Clarins Holiday Glow Getters Advent Calendar Gift Set

 

A look at each day’s contents cased with a perforated door opening:
Clarins Holiday Glow Getters Advent Calendar Gift Set

 

All the minis – there are so many skincare items I’ve wanted to try and cannot wait to dive in.

 

Clarins Holiday Glow Getters Advent Calendar Gift Set

 

Right now there’s a GWP with any $80+ order running online at Clarins through 11/15 – there are four options to choose from, with a code for each option: DAILY16, MULTI16, FIRMING16 or SUPER16.

 

Clarins GWP

 

There are some other cute value gift sets which I’ll link below. For reference you can see some other reviews if you need swatches or more details:

 

 

 

I am a huge fan of the Clarins lip products but haven’t explored much of the skincare. I am excited that to try more with this holiday set. I have a few more advent calendar / beauty box sets that I’ll be reviewing soon so stay tuned! Ones to be featured shortly include the Laura Mercier Iconics (if you’re a Sephora VIB the 20% off sale for VIB tier members starts tomorrow 11/11) and Charlotte Tilbury World of Legendary Parties.Up next will be my Sephora haul 🙂 P.S. Tom Ford Winter Soleil Eye and Cheek Palettes and the Soleil Lip Foil just launched online just in time for tomorrow’s sale. I wasn’t able to get them in time to use the code but ordered the palettes anyways.

 

Have you checked out any of the beauty advent calendars this year? If yes which ones?

 

Advent calendar gifted by Clarins for review.
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Eye Makeup NARS

NARS Sarah Moon Holiday 2016 Picks: Give In Take, Indes Galantes, Impudique and Isadora

November 7, 2016
NARS Sarah Moon Holiday 2016 Picks: Give In Take, Indes Galantes, Impudique and Isadora

NARS partnered with French fashion photographer Sarah Moon to create his holiday 2016 collection. There are a lot of beautiful limited-edition palettes and sets. I bought four of the items:

Up first are the Sarah Moon Collection items. There are individual colors for eyes, lips and cheeks. The lips are all in the Matte Lipstick Formula so I passed. Indes Galantes Eyeshadow Duo is a shimmering gunmetal and matte cranberry plum shade. Together they make for an interesting smoky eye but I can’t wear them alone. I need an additional color like a light neutral such as NARS Himalia or any of the lighter neutral duos to help blend and create a full eye look. Pigment and texture wise both shades are excellent.

For the Sarah Moon Blushes I bought them as an impulse buy at the counter. I have an extensive blush stash and probably did not need either of these but I was really impressed with the lovely soft rose almost mauve tone of Isadora. It’s rare for me to find pink mauve blushes with that kind of sheen/shimmer. It has some warmth in the shimmers so it doesn’t pull muddy on my complexion. Impudique is a brighter warm raspberry shimmer which I tried at the counter and fell in love with as well. Both are smooth and have a natural sheen and are not overly shimmery. Pigment is rich but easy to blend and apply on the skin.

The Beauty Look Book NARS Sarah Moon Holiday 2016 Picks

The Beauty Look Book NARS Sarah Moon Holiday 2016 Picks

The Give In Take Dual-Intensity Eye and Cheek Palette is a Sephora exclusive. It has six Dual-Intensity Shadows and three Dual-Intensity Cheek products. All the colors are exclusive to the palette and are different from the existing full size color options. This is a beautiful soft and smoky kind of palette but it turned out to be completely different from what I expected. I ordered this sight unseen online (as of last week I still haven’t seen it at my Sephora stores). I expected full pigment rich colors and shimmers as I experience with most of the dual-intensity products. The colors in this palette are a lot softer with a more muted finish that isn’t really intense as the product name implies. The blushes are extremely sheer – I can build them for a soft natural glow but on my medium olive skin it’s very very soft.

The Beauty Look Book NARS Sarah Moon Holiday 2016 Give In Take

The Beauty Look Book NARS Sarah Moon Holiday 2016 Give In Take
I had to swatch with a very heavy hand to get the colors to show up on my arm. I hope this shows how you can build and layer the colors. These were applied with a dry brush, to get more intense color apply with a dense damp brush.

The Beauty Look Book NARS Sarah Moon Holiday 2016 Give In Take swatches

For the eyes you have a soft grey ivory shimmer, a dove grey satin, a gunmetal shimmer, white opal, soft grey taupe satin, warm black satin.

The Beauty Look Book NARS Sarah Moon Holiday 2016 Give In Take

For the cheeks you have a shimmery ivory, a super soft peach and a soft baby pink shimmer.

The Beauty Look Book NARS Sarah Moon Holiday 2016 Give In Take

Here’s a look with the Dual Intensity Eyeshadows used from the top row, Indes Galantes Duo, all three  Dual-Intensity palette blushes swirled and applied on cheeks. Lips are Louboutin Altareva (reviewed here). Foundation is NARS Velvet Matte Skin Tint in Groenland and concealer is NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Macadamia.

Shop the look below:


One last look:
The Beauty Look Book NARS Sarah Moon Holiday 2016
Overall some lovely items for holiday that are nice but not must-haves. If I were to narrow down my pick to 1 item it would most likely be just the Isadora Blush. All the colors are made extremely well with high quality and with good color payoff. The palette is a very good one – it was just different from what I expected. If you like soft looking glowy makeup and find most shimmers too shimmery you will absolutely love this one. I like the looks it can create – I just expected something more intense and dramatic for holiday.

You can find the Sarah Moon collection items now at all NARS counters. The items are limited-editino. Online at NARS Cosmetics, Nordstrom, Sephora, Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue. Don’t forget today 11/7 is the last day for Sephora VIB Rouge Members to receive 20% off purchases with code 20ROUGE at checkout.

If you hauled anything let me know in the comments!
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Christian Louboutin

Christian Louboutin Silky Satin, Sheer Voile and Loubilaque

November 2, 2016
Louboutin Lipstick and Loubilaque Review - The Beauty Look Book

 

Christian Louboutin makes the most expensive lip products on the beauty market to date. After featuring the signature Louboutin Rouge Lipsticks in all three formulas and the Rouge Loubilaque, an overwhelming number of you have asked me to test out some other shades, in particular some of the neutrals. I ordered six colors sight unseen, split into a few orders as it took me a long time to decide which ones to try (there’s no counter near me to swatch/see). One was gifted to me (You You). The Christian Louboutin Beaute line is all about luxury and the price points of the products are extremely high so I wanted to make sure I picked ones I would actually wear, and wear on a regular basis.

 

Louboutin Lipstick and Loubilaque Review - The Beauty Look Book

What I have to swatch and feature for you today:

  • Silky Satin Lip Colour in Belly Bloom ($90 for 3.8 g/0.13 oz) is a medium peachy cream
  • Silky Satin Lip Colour in Tres Decollete ($90 for 3.8 g/0.13 oz) is a natural pink peach nude
  • Sheer Voile Lip Colour in You You (gifted, $90 for 3.5 g/0.12 oz) is a sheer plum
  • Sheer Voile Lip Colour in Rose du Desert ($90 for 3.5 g/0.12 oz) is a natural rose pink
  • Loubilaque in Akenana ($85 for 4.7 ml/0.16 oz) is a beige pink with shimmer
  • Loubilaque in Bikini ($85 for 4.7 ml/0.16 oz) is a medium bright pink cream
  • Loubilaque in Altareva ($85 for 4.7 ml/0.16 oz) is a beige pink that’s slightly deeper in color

 

Louboutin Lipstick Belly Bloom, Tres Decollete, You You, Rose du Desert - The Beauty Look Book

 

Up first are the lip colors. The Silky Satin formula is a smooth medium to full coverage lipstick formula and it’s flawless in terms of application. It’s among the best formulas I’ve tried and has a beautiful natural sheen. The two colors I picked turned out to be similar, had I seen these in person I would have picked different shades, but I’m not disappointed with either one. Belly Bloom is a medium peach cream. Tres Decollete is pinky peach cream on me (looks peach in the tube but pulls a bit more pinkish on my lips).
For the Sheer Voile formula I really love the Rouge Louboutin option. It has a lush glossy finish and feels smooth and hydrating on the lips. I felt Rose du Desert would be a good safe color and it is. It’s a natural sheer pink rose that one can wear everyday. The color itself isn’t really unique and for something that looks so natural I think you can opt for one of the YSL Rouge Volupte Shines which seems affordable by comparison. I will say that I don’t have anything quite the same in color among my glossy sheer lipsticks. Had I been able to try this one I would have skipped it because it’s just so SO natural on me. You You on the other hand is a color I find really special as plums like this are hard to come by for me. Most turn fuchsia but this one has the perfect balance of plum and brown in it. I suspect I would have liked the brighter or deeper options in the sheer formula.

 

Louboutin Lipstick Belly Bloom, Tres Decollete, You You, Rose du Desert - The Beauty Look Book

 

Louboutin Lipstick Belly Bloom, Tres Decollete, You You, Rose du Desert - The Beauty Look Book

 

Louboutin Lipstick Belly Bloom, Tres Decollete, You You, Rose du Desert - The Beauty Look Book
Up next are the Loubilaques and I picked the 3 lightest colors. Akenana is the most natural beige pink color on me. There is some shimmer in it but on the lips it’s a natural kind of shimmer. I love these kinds of colors so this one is a win for me. Bikini is a neutral-cool pink that has some brightness to it but is still natural. Altareva is similar to Akenana but it pulls a bit deeper and peachy in color with some brown tones in it.
The formula has been reviewed in the Rouge Louboutin Loubilaque post, but for a quick recap, these are scented with a lipstick/makeup kind of scent. The pigment is medium to full in coverage with a smooth finish. They come with a sponge tipped applicator. Texture is lush and while it’s not too heavy you can definitely feel it on the lips. They have a very cushiony kind of feel on the lips. If you’re not into any kind of scent or fragrance for lip products you will probably find the scent too strong for you. I don’t mind it and have had no issues.

 

Louboutin Beaute Loubilaque Akenana, Bikini, Altareva - The Beauty Look Book

 

Louboutin Beaute Loubilaque Akenana, Bikini, Altareva - The Beauty Look Book

 

Louboutin Beaute Loubilaque Akenana, Bikini, Altareva - The Beauty Look Book

 

For those curious about the Louboutin lip products I hope you found the swatches in this post helpful. So many of you have asked whether or not the price tag is worth it for these lip products. I really cannot say yes or no. The Louboutin Beaute line is all about luxury and and opulence. As anyone can tell from the price and packaging, it’s not really about being practical. These are packaged as decorative objects almost like ornaments. If you want my own personal take, there are tons of lipsticks at price points I don’t think are justified ie Tom Ford, Cle de Peau Beaute, By Terry, even Chantecaille. Yet I’ll still indulge in some. A $90 lipstick or $85 lipgloss isn’t for everyone. I would say it’s not really for me, heck even a $50 lipstick from Tom Ford is a huge ouch to the wallet. That being said I like what I splurged on.
For the Louboutin lipsticks I’m pleased with the ones I bought even if I did end up picking colors that are similar to each other. I like the quality, colors and finishes. I don’t have any regrets but if I were able to see everything in person I would probably have tried to pick shades that were a bit more distinct and different. I 100% love the Loubilaques – I’m more of a gloss person anyways so these fit my personal taste more than lipsticks, although the Silky Satin Lipstick formula is excellent.
You can find Christian Louboutin Beaute at Sephora, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Net-A-Porter and Christian Louboutin.

 

Have you tried the lip products yet? Did you splurge on any? What were your thoughts? P.S. If you were interested in the perfumes they recently launched, for holiday they have a Perfume Trio Set with minis you might want to check out.

 

Belly Bloom, Tres Decollete, Rose du Desert, Akenana, Bikini and Altareva all purchased by me.
You You was gifted.

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Eye Makeup Marc Jacobs Beauty

Marc Jacobs Beauty About Last Night Style Eye Con No 20 Eyeshadow Palette

November 1, 2016
The Beauty Look Book - Marc Jacobs Beauty About Last Night Style Eye Con No 20 Eyeshadow Palette

Marc Jacobs Beauty launched their About Last Night Style Eye Con No 20 Eyeshadow Palette ($99 for 20 x 0.03 oz/ 0.85 g) earlier this past fall. I ordered mine back in August and this review has been on my to-do list for ages. If you haven’t had a chance to try it out I recommend you do and that you put it on your wishlist or Sephora shopping list because it is amazing. It’s a huge palette that contains 20 eyeshadows, all with amazing textures, smooth finish, rich easy to layer pigment, no fall out even when you apply on the eyes, long lasting power and basically endless combinations. I was really blown away by the quality and colors. There is only 1 shade I’m not crazy about which is the yellow gold shimmer, but the rest of the colors are top notch and ones I can actually wear.

The Beauty Look Book - Marc Jacobs Beauty About Last Night Style Eye Con No 20 Eyeshadow Palette

I ordered sight unseen and had no idea how large it would be even though Marc Jacobs Beauty launched a Style Eye Con No 20 last year. When I ordered it I also had no idea that it was $99. I’m usually pretty good at assessing prices when I shop, but it was one of those busy weeks. I added to my cart and purchased. I didn’t realize until it arrived and I looked at my receipt and my jaw dropped. There’s no question it is an expensive purchase but it’s 100% worth every penny (even that one yellow color I didn’t think I’d wear). A quick size comparison and look at how large the palette is:

The Beauty Look Book - Marc Jacobs Beauty About Last Night Style Eye Con No 20 Eyeshadow Palette

The Style Eye Con No. 7 in The Lolita reviewed here
The #Instamarc Light Filtering Contour Duo reviewed here

A closer look at the palette and swatches. Each of the shades have names but they aren’t labeled on the palette so I’ve split it into the top half and bottom half. The shimmers are absolutely stunning and buttery soft. There are a few mattes with sparkle flecks – they perform really well with no fall out. The mattes are among the best mattes I’ve tried. Often times super pigmented mattes can either be chalky unless you apply with a detail brush. These mattes apply well with a loose fluffy brush or dense brush equally well and it’s a huge plus that I experienced no fall out.

Top half has:
Matte ivory
Satin warm tan brown
Matte cream
Matte baby pink
Shimmering ivory
Shimmering yellow gold
Shimmering peachy tan
White cool snow shimmer
Shimmering tan taupe
Matte pink mauve with sparkle flecks

The Beauty Look Book - Marc Jacobs Beauty About Last Night Style Eye Con No 20 Eyeshadow Palette

The Beauty Look Book - Marc Jacobs Beauty About Last Night Style Eye Con No 20 Eyeshadow Palette

Bottom half has:
Shimmering warm gold
Matte brown with gold flecks
Shimmery violet purple
Matte grey
Shimmering purple
Deep matte eggplant
Satiny cool brown
Satiny gunmetal black grey
Deep cool black with silver flecks
Matte brown with plum red tones

The Beauty Look Book - Marc Jacobs Beauty About Last Night Style Eye Con No 20 Eyeshadow Palette

The Beauty Look Book - Marc Jacobs Beauty About Last Night Style Eye Con No 20 Eyeshadow Palette

If you need something simpler and with a lower price point, I’d recommend either the Marc Jacobs Beauty Style Eye Con No. 7 in Social Butterfly or either of the Dior 5 Couleurs Splendor Eyeshadow Palettes for holiday. Both can give you a similar effect depending on your color preferences and are just as good in quality.

The Beauty Look Book - Marc Jacobs Beauty About Last Night Style Eye Con No 20 Eyeshadow Palette

Bottom line is I don’t know how else to describe this except as “amazing.” As soon as I realized what the price point was, I thought to myself there was no way I could love it at that price. I was wrong. Every single color has an A+ texture, finish and pigment. However as always I’d only recommend you buy an eyeshadow palette if you think you’ll use most of the colors. My take is that it’s a great buy and well worth the splurge. If I could only have one new eyeshadow palette for the holiday this would be it. It’s one I think I could travel with and have everything I need for the eyes in a single palette – base, highlight, color, blending colors and liner shades.

If you’re a Sephora VIB Rouge Member, the 20% off sale starts online and in stores on Thursday the 4th. By now you should have received a card in the mail with a coupon that you can use. Online the code will be 20ROUGE from 11/4 to 11/7 so if you’ve reached that tier I recommend waiting for the sale if you have this on your list. 

Have you checked out this palette yet? If not do you have any other Marc Jacobs Beauty eyeshadow palettes that you liked? I’ve reviewed several which I’ll link below.

A few others from Marc Jacobs:

You can find the Marc Jacobs Beauty About Last Night Style Eye Con No 20 Eyeshadow Palette exclusively at Sephora and Marc Jacobs Beauty. It is limited-edition.
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