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Bronzer + Blush Marc Jacobs Beauty

Marc Jacobs Beauty Air Blush Soft Glow Duo Review

September 4, 2016

Marc Jacobs Beauty launched five shades of blush called the Air Blush Soft Glow Duo ($42 each for 8 g / 0.282 oz, made in Italy). I bought three of the shades back at the end of July and have been obsessed ever since. It was literally love at first swipe. I was just about to post my review when a surprise press box of all the colors arrived so I re-photographed and re-swatched everything all together for a comprehensive post. There are five colors total and although not new, they recommend the Angled Blush Brush ($38, reviewed here) for application.
The Marc Jacobs Beauty Air Blush has a similar concept to that of the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blushes (reviewed here) in the sense that both contain two colors in each compact, one being a lighter softer shade and the other being a deeper or brighter blush color. The Hourglass blushes all have a highlighter color swirled in so they have a more luminous shimmer on the skin while the Marc Jacobs Beauty ones have a more satiny finish with less shimmer.

At $42 each I was expecting to be slightly disappointed because they are very expensive and I thought there might be a chance that they would not live up to my expectations because of the price. After testing these though I am pleased to report a thumbs up. They are indeed everything others have been raving about. The texture is indeed silky soft like they claim with a finish that looks like skin (not powdery) and they add a nice radiant natural glow to the cheeks. If you’re one who avoids shimmer blush at all costs but have been wanting something that glows this is it. It has a similar finish on the skin to that of Chanel blushes (US versions) that have a soft shimmer. I’m still not really thrilled about the price but I have no complaints as the quality, finish, packaging and colors are really superb.

The three shades I picked out were Kinks and Kisses, Lush and Libido and Flesh and Fantasy. After testing out the other two shades, I still think my first picks were the best ones for my skintone. These are striped with alternating colors which makes blending the two shades perfect. I really love the fact that each end has a slightly larger area of color so you can actually customize the intensity or color. Swirl the brush more on the left side for a lighter finish or dip it into the right side for more pigment and deeper color.

Colors described as I see them:

  • Kinks and Kisses is the perfect peachy pink mix
  • Flesh and Fantasy is a neutral nude, it has enough warmth so it’s not like a contour powder
  • Night Fever and Hot Stuff is the deepest option, I thought it would be too dark but it’s a very pretty plum with hint of cherry pink
  • Lines and Last Night is a peachy tangerine glow
  • Lush and Libido is a cool-toned orchid pink
Swatched side by side:

A look at each shade individually, up first is Lush and Libido. First two swatches are individual colors, last one is swirled. This is the same for all the other swatches below:

Lines and Last Night:

Kinks and Kisses:

Flesh and Fantasy:

Night Fever and Hot Stuff:

A few comparison swatches to show the difference in pigment, undertone and shimmer. What I like about the Marc Jacobs Beauty Air Blush is that they look soft and luminous on the skin, but the luminosity is diffused unlike other glowy products so if you photograph with a flash there’s no glare like with other strong shimmers.

  • Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Radiant Magenta (reviewed here) is warmer than MJB Lush and Libido (I have a very slight preference for the Hourglass one just because I like warmer colors, but both are very pretty)
  • Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Incandescent Electra (review here) is lighter, cooler toned, and more glowy than MJB Lines and Last Night or Kinks and Kisses
  • Becca Luminous Blushes in Foxglove and Dahlia (reviewed here) are a lot more pigmented and intense and offer a more dramatic glow 

Two looks, left shows Lines and Last Night on the cheeks, right shows Lush and Libido:

Other makeup worn:

Bottom line thumbs up. These have the perfect in between mix of satin and shimmer. They are luminous in a very natural sense so there’s no glare from shimmer or frost, yet there’s enough glow to give the skin that soft sheen. They are powdery so there is kick up like with most powder blushes. There’s no detectable scent in these which is a huge plus for someone like myself who has a sensitive nose. Even better – these don’t emphasize pores or imperfections on the cheeks. No irritation either. They do warm up on the skin very slightly but don’t darken a lot. In terms of lasting power I found these did stay put from morning to late afternoon without fading or sliding. I still am unsure how I feel about the $42 price tag but then I have paid more for Chanel, Tom Ford, NARS Dual Intensity Blushes to name a few. In my mind I still think of blush as something that should be in the $18 to $35 range at most but I like the decent sized compact and the fact that they don’t waste compact space on a mini brush which I usually find useless in most powder or blush compacts.

In terms of the brushes to use, any blush brush will do. I tried this with the recommended Marc Jacobs Beauty Angled Brush (which I had from holiday) and this gives the most sheer and natural finish on the cheeks. The bristles are soft and while they do pick up color, they dispense a sheer wash of color. I also tried this with the Chanel Blush Brush and MAC Angled Contour Brush #168 (both my most reached for blush brushes) and both worked equally well. They did pick up more color than the one from Marc Jacobs. I like those two because the size is perfect for my cheek shape and face size.

Although these are spendy I don’t think you’ll be disappointed if you splurge on one. There’s nothing bad I can say about these. Formula and packaging are both on point. There seems to be a wide range of colors to suit anyone’s taste and I do think they are shades that are versatile no matter what skin tone or undertone you have.

You can find the Marc Jacobs Beauty Air Blush Soft Glow Duos at Marc Jacobs Beauty, Sephora, Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman. Have you tried these yet? What did you think?

Blushes and brush gifted by the Marc Jacobs Beauty team for review, although I did also purchase three of the shades to test out long before I discovered a press box was on it’s way.

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MAC

MAC x Star Trek Collection Picks

August 31, 2016

Last month I stopped by the MAC x Star Trek Preview at Comic-Con. The collection officially launches this month and is currently available online at MAC and Nordstrom but was available for early access to anyone in the San Diego area during the week of Comic-Con. I am not one who has followed Star Trek very closely and have never attended Comic-Con even though it is in my hometown, but I could not pass up the opportunity to see something MAC-related and was curious to see what the Star Trek collection looked like so I took an Uber for the first time in San Diego (second time I’ve used it ever!) to downtown since I knew finding parking on my own would be virtually impossible (or extremely expensive).

The MAC x Star Trek Preview was held a few blocks away from the San Diego Convention Center where Comic-Con is actually held. They had a space ship station setup with areas for makeup testing, makeup application and checkout. Everything was decked out in a Star Trek theme. You can see more from the event on Star Trek’s website.

The day I stopped by some items were already sold out from the early preview. I ordered a couple more items once they popped up online and now have my picks ready to show you. The collection celebrates 50 years of Star Trek and at the event a tiny collectors pin and some Legos were given with each purchase. Everything as you can imagine has a metallic and space-like theme with lots of shimmer, glitter and glitz. All items have the silver Star Trek logo. The most conservative colors I could find and picked out:
  • Trip the Light Fantastic Powders ($34 each for 6.5 g/0.22 oz) in Luna Luster, Strange New Worlds, Highly Illogical
  • Pressed Pigment ($23 each for 3 g/0.1 oz) in To Boldly Go and The Naked Time
  • Lipstick ($18 each for 3 g/0.1 oz) in Llap and Where No Man Has Gone Before
  • Lipglass ($17 each for 4.8 ml/0.16 oz) in Pleasure Planet

Up first are the Trip the Light Fantastic Powders which are swirled highlighters. MAC describes these as sheer powders but I find that the color can be built for more pigment. I don’t really find them sheer but you can blend the colors for a more sheer look. Luna Luster is a pale opal rose with tiny flecks of silver sparkle (they look like super tiny micro glitters), Strange New Worlds is a warm peachy rose shimmer, Highly Illogical is a mauve plum shimmer. I’ve been a long time fan of MAC Mineralize Finish Powders even though they can be very shimmery, I find these Fantastic Powders to have less frost and more of a softer sheen. They are still on the shimmery side though. My favorite is Strange New Worlds for the most natural sheen. The other two are more shimmery and have more contrast with my skin and work best as a soft highlighter for the cheeks or eyes.

Next are two of the Pressed Pigments, both of which are what I’d call glitter bombs. I’ve tried and used MAC Pressed Pigments before so I was aware of how sparkly they might be. I talked myself into being brave with these thinking I could pull them off (at least my version of brave). I cannot. They are simply too sparkly for me, even when pressed lightly over other matte shadows or when layered with other colors. The base colors are gorgeous. Not to worry for me though because I have a friend who is dying to take these off my hands, lol. Once on the lids there is minimal fallout and I will say they last an impressive amount of time.

For the lips everything was shimmery or metallic. Most options are for the person who likes super edgy looks. Where No Man Has Gone Before is a gorgeous metallic rose with golden sheen, Llap is a shimmering frosted beige, Pleasure Planet is a very sparkly multi-colored gold with a sheer yellow base. In my experience some MAC frost and shimmers look best with a clear or sheer gloss on top to help tone down the shimmer a bit and bring out the color. I think both of these lipsticks are in that category.

All swatched on bare lips, just as labeled:

Swatch comparisons:

I found the MAC x Star Trek launch to be a fun and innovative collection filled with lots of unique colors and interesting textures for shimmer and glitter. In case you haven’t seen it, Karen at Makeup and Beauty Blog has a really fun series of looks on her blog of the collection. I had a lot of fun visiting the Star Trek setups at Comic-Con, it’s always fun to people watch and the costumes are quite amazing. If I had to pick anything as a must-have, it would be Strange New Worlds Trip the Light Fantastic Powder.

The collection is available online and in stores starting today at MAC and Nordstrom as well as all other MAC counters. Everything is limited-edition.

Have you checked anything out yet? Or do you have anything on your wishlist?
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Chanel

Chanel Fall 2016 Le Rouge Collection N°1 and Ultrawear Flawless Collection Picks

August 29, 2016

 

Today I have a few picks from a couple Chanel collections for fall. There are a series of new product launches, the first being the Le Rouge Collection N°1 and second being the Ultrawear Flawless Foundation Collection. I’ve been a long time fan of Chanel beauty and the fall launches are usually the ones I look forward to the most for new innovative products and shades that have a modern twist on classic colors. This year’s launches so far fall short of my expectations in terms of innovative colors and I found the options this year to be some of the most boring and unoriginal shades I think I’ve ever tested. I will admit that I do believe there are only so many ways to do red – perhaps at this point it’s already all been done? The quality for the most part is still excellent and I did find some things I have been really happy with – in general though, I feel the Chanel fall launches lack excitement, especially compared to previous collections.

 

In addition to the first color launch for fall Chanel a new foundation called Le Teint Ultra Tenue Ultrawear Flawless Foundation which is a fluid long-wear formula. The powder foundation has also been reformualted to a new silky formula called Le Teint Ultra Tenue Ultrawear Flawless Compact Foundation. I got a small sample of the liquid in shades 30 and 40 (my usual colors) to test. 30 is an almost perfect match, just a tiny bit too pink on my skin. It blended seamlessly on my skin, gave medium natural coverage, had impressive lasting power and stayed put all day without getting oily or patchy. The only down side is by evening I saw tiny little bumps surface along the sides of my face. After testing two days I saw bumps get worse so I suspect I am allergic to it which is a shame because it wears so beautifully. I have not yet tested the powder foundation but hope to go back to the counter soon to do so. There are two new blushes featured in this collection called Evening Beige and Rosewood which are not the baked formula (yay!!). More details below as I work my way through the colors I picked out from the two launches.

What I bought, listed below, first from the Ultra Wear Flawless Foundation Collection:

  • Joues Contraste in Rosewood is a medium rose pink
  • Joues Contraste in Evening Beige is a warm shimmering copper beige

From the Le Rouge Collection N°1 Collection:

  • Joues Contraste in Rouge Profond is a matte red
  • Le Vernis Nail Gloss in Rouge Radical is a transparent jelly red
  • Le Vernis in Rouge Puissant is a deep red
  • Rouge Allure in Rouge Ingenue is a nude cream beige

 

Swatches:

 

 

Up first are the three blushes. All three are the regular US formula which I prefer over the baked formula you’ll find in other countries. These are soft, finely milled, smooth powders that are easy to dust on the skin. All three are darker so if you’re medium-tan to deep in skintone and have found most Chanel blushes to be too light to show up, you will rejoice that Chanel has finally launched colors that will show up on your skintone! The pigment is quite intense so a super light hand is needed. I found the red in Rouge Profond to have an almost vintage feel. For my skintone I need a very light hand to be able to wear this and one swipe too many results in a clown-like look and almost burnt on my skin (scroll down to the bottom for a look).
For the two blush shades in the foundation launch, so far you can find them both online at Chanel and Neiman Marcus. At the moment, Nordstrom only has Rosewood and not Evening Beige. Rosewood is lighter and easier to wear compared to the fall red, but the intensity is still a bit much for me. By comparison I’ve just been completely blown away by the Marc Jacobs Beauty Air Blush (yes they’re very expensive but are amazing, review soon) which looks better on the skin compared to these. Last but not least, Evening Beige is probably the one unique shade of the bunch – it’s a warm coppery shimmer. I don’t really see beige in it, but I suppose one could call it a coppery beige. My personal preference is for the Golden Sun blush which is less warm and more of a beigey color.

 

 

Next is the Rouge Allure in Rouge Ingenue. Most of the colors launched are variations of red and this was the only light neutral. The color is a light beige cream which is absolutely gorgeous. Unfortunately the color went on my lips patchy and required a lot of blending, blotting and reapplying to get smooth application. I found this odd since I’ve had great success with most Rouge Allure lipstick formulas – I suspect the paleness of the color might have played a part in my application issues. Swatch comparisons below for some similar colors.

 

Left to right:

 

 

Last but not least the items I usually get the most excited about, the nail colors. There are two in the Le Rouge Collection N°1, one is the Le Vernis in Rouge Puissant which is a deep red cream. This one is almost identical to the discontinued Dragon, the Rouge Puissant is just a tiny bit darker. Once dried on the nails it deepens in color and appears to be a dark red that ages my hands. I would say unless you’re a Chanel collector, pass on this one. The other color is a Nail Gloss formula called Rouge Radical which is a transparent jelly red. I did not know what to expect with this one and was pleasantly surprised to find how opaque and pigmented it was once on the nails. Even though it has a transparent formula it covers the nail entirely for a bright red look. I absolutely love this one and by now it has already sold out at many locations (you can still find it online at Saks, Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s).

 

 

 

 

Comparison swatches, note that the Pirate shown is the older formula (I have not seen the new one to compare), Gitane is the new formula reviewed here:
Stand outs to me include the Nail Gloss in Rouge Radical and Joues Contraste in Evening Beige. I had high hopes for the new foundation but unfortunately caused tiny bumps to form so it’s a no-go for me. I passed on a lot from the the reds collection – I think red is hard for me to pull off, especially on the eyes which seemed to be a heavy focus for the illusion d’ombre, quad and liners. The rest just wasn’t really my cup of tea color-wise, but quick swatching at the counter showed the quality to still be on point. I do think the Rouge Profond blush is unique even if I think red blush is a bit boring – I keep hoping it will grow on me, but I have to apply with a very careful light hand. Even then, sometimes after it sets and warms on my skin the color darkens so I have to go back with my powder brush and blend along the edges. I’m usually hesitant to post negative reviews because I don’t want to offend anyone, especially in this case if you loved the pieces in this collection. I want to reiterate that products are great quality-wise, for reds I would have been head over heels had Chanel relaunched previously discontinued colors like Cosmic Violine, Tulip Noire or something that I feel are a bit more special.
Do note that many of the pieces in the red collection are limited-edition and some have already sold out online. You may have to do a bit of shopping around to find all the items if they’ve been on your list so I do recommend buying sooner than later if any of the colors speak to you.
You can find both the Le Rouge Collection N°1 and Ultrawear Flawless Collection online at Chanel.com. By now I’ve spotted both in store near me. Also available online at Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue and Bloomingdale’s.
Have you checked out Chanel fall bits yet? What did you think?

 

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Cover FX Highlighters

Cover FX Custom Enhancer Drops

August 25, 2016

Cover FX Custom Enhancer Drops ($42 each for 15 ml/0.5 fl oz, made in Italy) are super pigmented liquid highlighter and bronzer drops that you can use in a wide range of ways. They have been extremely popular and sold out for months – it appears they sold out almost instantly, the Cover FX team sent me samples back in July and by the time my package arrived, all the colors except the bronzers were sold out. They just restocked them on coverfx.com and according to their Instagram plan to restock them as of Friday morning 8/26 are back online Sephora.com today. I’ve spotted the bronzer shades in store at a few Sephora stores near me but all the shimmery colors have been sold out for ages. In case you have had these on your radar I wanted to give you a heads up to check Sephora.com this afternoon so you don’t miss out. I know everyone’s preference for shimmer with highlighters is different but I will say right now that my quick take is these live up to the hype and are among the best I’ve tried. I think you need at least one in your life.

There are four highlighters and two bronzers (Sunset and Sunkissed featured in my summer bronzer edit). If you’ve seen these featured online Instagram, blogs or YouTube channels you may have been a bit concerned that the highlighters have that super high-frost overly dramatic shimmer effect. I love a good shimmer but if you’re a conservative makeup like me you find that some shimmers are really just too much for everyday wear. They look good on camera or for inspirational makeup looks but for normal everyday regular life I’m not sure how many of us really wear that much shimmer.

The Cover FX Enhancer Drops are extremely pigmented and can give a very intense highlight but what I love about them is that you easily sheer it out for a soft luminous glow. They are very fluid which makes a tiny bit easy to blend. I like these on the eyes, dabbed on cheekbones and especially mixed in with foundation. Mixing these in with foundation doesn’t change the foundation formula too much which is nice. Sometimes I like my foundation formulas just the way they are I just want to add a bit of shimmer or glow. Since the formula is liquid and lightweight it won’t add any emollient texture like Armani Fluid Sheers, Estee Edit Flash Illuminators or Estee Edit Beam Team.

They come with a dropper. I’m usually not a fan of droppers for makeup because it just gets messy, but they are easy to use and dispense just the right amount of product.

I tried each color mixed in with my foundations (including the bronzers). Two drops is all I needed to add a glow. My two favorite shades are in the middle which include Moonlight and Sunlight – they matched my skintone the closest so the colors didn’t change the color of my foundation too much. The others were too light or dark to mix in with foundation for all over the face, so those were best used as a highlight on eyes or cheeks or to bronze the cheeks.

Onto the colors, they come packaged in a sturdy glass vial. The colors of the packaging mimic the actual color which is nice so you can see at a glance what color you’re grabbing:

Colors left to right:

  • Celestial is a pale pearly white
  • Moonlight is a champagne silver
  • Sunlight is a warmer champagne with gold tones
  • Candlelight is a shimmering bronze
  • Sunkissed is a non-shimmer neutral light bronze
  • Sunset is a non-shimmer medium brown

Because the shimmer is very intense, almost foiled-like when you swatch, these will look different in every swatch photo you see depending on how the light hits the product. Here they are swatched a few different ways:

Blended:

Heavy in sunlight:

Bottom line definitely worth checking out. My top three are Moonlight, Sunlight and Sunkissed. I like that they are easy to mix in with foundation or apply on top of your makeup. I really like them on the eyes for an all over wash that’s easy and effortless. Sunkissed is a great color to add some life to the face – for medium-skinned girls, think of it as a very natural contour to add some color to your face without having that contour look. If you’re one who loves shimmer you will really like these. There’s no detectable scent, they dry to a satiny finish, last all day long, great for normal to oily skin and are easy to sheer out. If you’re super conservative with shimmers and need something a lot softer or with a dewy finish I’d recommend you opt for the Estee Edit Flash Illuminators, Charlotte Tilbury Wonder Glow or Tom Ford Skin Illuminator in Fire Lust for a more subtle glow.

Update: As of Friday 8/26 these are back online at Sephora! Some still available online at Cover FX. Have you tried these? What did you think? Have you tried the Custom Infusion Drops or Custom Cover Drops – they seem to be really popular as well but I’m always nervous about testing new things on my face – if you’ve tested them let me know what you thought! I’ve tried a couple Cover FX foundations before and they were too heavy for my skin, but given the success I’ve had with the liquid highlighters, perhaps the drop foundation will be better?

Custom Enhancer Drops provided courtesy of Cover FX for review consideration.
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Dior Eye Makeup Highlighters

Dior Skyline Collection for Fall 2016

August 23, 2016

The Dior Skyline Collection for Fall 2016 is the first fall collection I’m reviewing this year. A lot of you have been e-mailing me and messaging me about fall beauty which has just started to arrive at counters. The most highly requested item for review has been the Diorskin Nude Air Luminizer in this collection and I will say right up front go buy it now – Dior never disappoints with highlighters and they give a very pretty glow. The Dior team has also created a special promo code for Beauty Look Book readers so if you see any items that catch your eye, scroll down to the end of this post for details.

The items from fall that I have to review:

Up first are the standouts in my opinion which include the Diorblush Light and Contour Sticks and Diorskin Nude Air Luminizer. I already reviewed and swatched the contour sticks but I will repost photos for reference. As a quick recap, the Diorblush Light and Contour sticks are natural looking contour creams that are very easy to use and that won’t give you a harsh look. They blend nicely along the cheeks and for a contour-dummy like myself, they’re impossible to overdo.

A closer look at the contour sticks:

The Diorskin Nude Air Luminzer 001 for fall is absolutely stunning. It comes with an embossed design on the surface. This is one of those shades that will look different on everyone. Fair skin-toned beauty lovers will find this almost peachy while deeper skintones will find this more pale. On my medium skintone I find it to be a champagne gold with slight peachy tones. It’s finely milled, blends in with the skin flawlessly, doesn’t emphasize pores, stays put all day and has the prettiest sheen. The highlighter comes with a tiny kabuki brush which is well made but for me on the small side so I find it best for touch ups or on-the-go rather than for regular application.

Left is swatched heavily, right is blended out. You can blend or sheer out the color more if you prefer a more diffused glow. It’s absolutely perfect!

Swatch comparisons below show that the Nude Air Glowing Gardens 002 from spring is a tiny bit lighter than the Nude Air Luminizer for Fall 2016. On my face they are almost identical, I put one on each side of my face and they looked pretty close. Photos of course cannot do the shimmers or texture justice but I hope these help show the difference. And yes, even if you already own the spring versions, I think the one for fall is still a must.

Up next are the two Skyline Eyeshadow Palettes. These also come with a stunning embossed surface. Texture is similar to that of the highlighter – they’re powders with a slightly creamy feel. Pigment is medium but buildable and the texture melds in with the skin so they don’t look powdery. If you apply them with a slightly damp brush the color can be intensified.

Capital of Light has a mix of shimmery and satiny shades including a gorgeous grey taupe, pale ivory white shimmer, satiny baby pink, shimmering tan and deep violet plum. The mix of colors creates a pretty smokey plum eye.

Parisian Sky has all shimmery shades. This one is better suited for an everyday kind of look. The colors include a shimmering tan, light sand shimmer, pale blue shimmer, silvery blue sparkle and deep chocolate shimmer. The blues give a sheer wash on the eyes and brighten the entire eye area when layered with the sand and beige colors. As one who rarely wears blue colors on the eyes, I found these surprisingly wearable.

Next up are two lip colors for the fall collection which is the Addict Hydra-Gel Core Mirror Shine Lipsticks ($35 each). There are a few repromoted colors like Incognito 316 which is a classic neutral pink that pulls cool on my skintone. There is one new limited-edition color called Sophisticated 927 which is a cool-toned plum with a silvery sheen. These have a smooth sheer to medium coverage and glossy shine. If you’re one who likes glossy finish lipsticks but want something to give visible coverage these are it. They have more coverage than the Rouge Dior Baumes but have that same glossy finish. These have a semi-thick almost gel-like feel which makes the pigment adhere well to the lips. Adding a liner of course will help extend the wear but they feel very comfortable on and fade nicely. As far as I can tell there is no detectable scent.

I applied these on the arm with a lip brush because these are the types of lip colors that don’t show up well on arm swatches straight from the tube, but do on the lips:

Below, applied straight from the tube on bare lips:

Last but not least are the Dior Vernis nail polishes in Minimal and Skyline. Both look very standard in the bottles and borderline boring. I will say at first glance I thought they looked a bit unimpressive but Dior polishes rarely disappoint. In my opinion, out of all the luxury brands that have reformulated their nail polishes over the years, the Dior revamp has been the best. Formula has always been top notch with a smooth, glossy flawless finish. They improved the brush by rounding the tips so application is really easy. Minimal is a perfect creamy beige peachy nude. Good nudes can be hard to find and this one brightens the hands without looking too pale. Skyline is a gorgeous chocolate cream, also not the most unique color but it has the perfect mix of brown and vamp to give the hands a perfectly polished look.

A lot of you have asked for nail comparisons – I’m fresh out of nail wheels so I will post comparisons in a separate post as soon as I get them in the mail. I will say right now though that Minimal is almost an exact dupe for Chanel’s discontinued Secret (the Dior is a bit brighter and has smoother/better coverage) and by comparison Chanel’s discontinued Emprise is a lot peachier and darker.

Two coats in sunlight:

Two coats of Skyline:

Bottom line gorgeous. Top three stand outs to me are the Diorskin Nude Air Luminzer 001 and Dior Vernis in Skyline and Minimal. The Addict Hydra-Gel Core Mirror Shine Lipsticks comes in close fourth for formula – right now I’m still in the summer state of mind but I think Sophisticated is perfect for fall. Quality-wise everything is excellent. Pigment on everything is rich and visible on the skin but easy to blend and layer for those who like a natural refined beauty look. If you buy just one item I would say go for the highlighter unless you already have a lot and don’t feel the need for one more in which case I would say opt for the Minimal nail polish. It’s a great everyday neutral that will give the hands a clean polished look.

Dior is offering an exclusive promo for Beauty Look Book readers. Dior.com usually offers complimentary samples with any online order but starting today through the end of the month they are giving my readers extra deluxe samples. With any $100+ purchase using code BEAUTYLB at Dior.com you will get some extra deluxe minis including a 5 ml Miss Dior Absolutely Blooming fragrance, mini Hydralife Sleeping Mask packette and mini Diorshow Maximizer 3D. Code is valid today through 8/31/2016, while supplies last (U.S. site only).

You can find the Dior Skyline Collection for fall available now online at Dior.com and at all Dior counters. All the items are limited-edition. Have you checked out the fall pieces yet? What did you think? If you haven’t, what’s on your wishlist?

Skyline Collection provided courtesy of Dior for review consideration. Many thanks to Dior for providing my readers with a special promo code!
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Diptyque Fragrance Home / Interiors

Diptyque Coriandre Candle

August 19, 2016

Diptyque Coriandre ($62 for 6.5 oz) is one of those candles I’ve had for a while but never got around to reviewing. For the home I do tend to give Baies and Figuier the most love but there are a lot of other scents that are really good that are often under the radar. Coriandre (or coriander) is one of those I would never think to burn in the home because it smells exactly like the herb. It’s described as having a slightly peppery green zest and is really unique. It smells fresh and green.

This one popped up on my radar while I was at a boutique one time. One of the associates went through half a dozen candles after I asked her what her favorites were. She pulled this one and said, “this is the best one for the kitchen to get rid of food smells” and it instantly piqued my interest. I did not buy it during that particular visit as many times I’ll think about a scent before buying. This one I just couldn’t get out of my mind and everytime we had food smells in our home from the kitchen after cooking I kept thinking about this. It wasn’t until about six months later that I was able to go back to the store to buy it and was really happy I did.

Burning it at home I found that it did help a lot in the kitchen. In attempts to waste less food (we find it challenging to buy just the right amount of produce at the grocery store and use it before it goes bad), experiment with new recipes and eat healthier, we’ve been experimenting with a few recipe delivery services. Some of them call for garlic and shallots which are nice to add for flavor but often fill the entire house with the scent for hours. I can say that burning the Diptyque Coriandre does help diffuse the food and cooking scents. It won’t make them disappear completely but I was really impressed with how it did somehow counteract food smells better than other candles. The effect is similar to that of Febreze which we used to use a lot because of our dogs, but eventually found we needed something stronger. The scent of a candle is longer lasting when you burn it and the scent fills the room better.

Other times I have burned it by my desk or in the evenings. It’s got a green feel that I find relaxing but refreshing at the same time. By the time of this post I’ve already burned it to the end. It’s one I will definitely repurchase in the near future. I think it’s one you should check out if you have a Diptyque store or counter near you. It’s not a boutique exclusive so you should be able to find it easily. Right now it only comes in the standard size. I think it’s well worth the splurge. I find it one of those scents you can burn year-round. If you’ve tried this let me know what you thought!

You can find Diptyque Coriander at Diptyque, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue and Barneys New York.

Have you tried Coriandre? If not what’s your favorite Diptyque scent? Any favs that you think are really unique or under-rated?

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Fragrance Highlighters Tom Ford Beauty

Tom Ford Beauty Black Orchid Eau de Parfum + Nightbloom Powder in Black Bloom

August 18, 2016

For fall Tom Ford Beauty is launching a few mini collections, the first is the Orchid Collection which highlights two fragrances in Black Orchid and Orchid Soleil along with corresponding powders and lipsticks to match the mood of each scent. A lovely package of the Black Orchid Eau de Parfum ($120 for 50 ml) and Nightbloom Powder in Black Bloom ($80) arrived a few months ago but I decided to wait closer to fall to review these. Scent is often very seasonal for me and some perfumes I can’t get in the mood for if it’s not the right time of year. Now that fall is approaching I am ready to review two items from the Orchid Collection. I have also purchased the Orchid Soleil perfume and a few other pieces which I hope to review in the next couple of weeks.

Both the Nightbloom Powder and Black Orchid Eau de Parfum come in matching packaging with the embossed striped black case and gold accent. The powder compact is the same size as the small bronzing powders and cream cheek colors from summer.

Black Orchid Eau de Parfum is not a new frangrance – it’s been a classic in the Tom Ford Beauty line for many years. For me this is a rich and spicy scent with a dark feel. To me it’s distinctly feminine, but pulls on the masculine side. Notes include bergamot, citrus accord, mandarin, gardenia, jasmine, ylang-ylang, lotus, orchid spicy floral accord, orchid, patchouli, sandalwood, incense, vanilla. If I were to sum it up in three words it would be “dark seductive floral.” Lasting power is very good – I find all Tom Ford scents to be long lasting, but this one is one of the strongest I’ve tried. While I am drawn to unisex scents that have notes like sandalwood and amber, Tom Ford Black Orchid is a bit darker than I would normally wear, even for date nights. It has a distinct and unique scent that feels very luxurious. I’m just not sure that it’s my cup of tea – but my nose has been known to change in taste. There are a few fragrances I did not like in my mid-20’s that I adore right now that I’m in my mid-30’s.

The Nightbloom Powder in Black Bloom is a gold shimmery highlighter with a strong yellow sheen. It has a very soft fragrance added but it does not really smell like the Black Orchid perfume. The shimmer is visible with lovely silver and gold sparkles. It has a smooth medium to medium-full coverage for pigment and is easy to blend. Quality-wise it’s excellent, doesn’t emphasize pores, doesn’t look overly frosted and stays put all day long without fall out or fading. Color-wise, I’ve mentioned numerous times before that I tend to stay away from yellowy-gold highlighters because it often clashes with my skintone. Alone on the skin it is indeed very yellow, but once I add a bronzer or blush, the yellow tones balance out a bit.

Swatch comparisons below to a few other highlighters. Tom Ford Night Bloom as the strongest yellow undertones.

Both the Black Orchid Eau de Parfum and Nightbloom Powder in Black Bloom are luxurious splurges that I was thrilled to be able to try. I’m a huge fan of Tom Ford Beauty and some of his fragrances are among my favorites (right now I’m obsessed with Soleil Blanc). Black Orchid as I suspected based on previous sniffs and spritzes at the counter is one of those scents that I distinctly seductive and beautiful, just not one I can see myself wearing on a regular basis. For me, my best date night scent is still Viktor and Rolf Flowerbomb.

The Nightbloom Powder is beyond gorgeous in every aspect from the packaging, texture, shimmer and color. However, since I tend to gravitate to peachy champagne colors for highlighters I can’t call this a must-have for me but I am very grateful a sample was sent for me to test out. I have high hopes for the pink one which I just ordered so stay tuned for a review on that one soon! Quality wise both items are a solid thumbs up.
Right now the Orchid Collection appears to have certain pieces that are available at select locations. The powders, lipsticks and solid perfumes can be found only at Tom Ford, Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman (for pre-order) and Selfridges (each of the stores list the collection as exclusive). The regular spray perfumes can be found at all other Tom Ford counters and stores.

Have you tried anything from the Orchid Collection yet? What did you think?

Black Orchid and Black Bloom both provided for review consideration.

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