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Charlotte Tilbury Skincare

Charlotte Tilbury Magic Skin Trilogy

December 29, 2015

I’ve been a huge fan of Charlotte Tilbury’s Magic Cream for everyday and I’m thrilled that she has expanded her skincare line with two new additions for spring. Her Magic Cream is a great everyday moisturizer that works well with my super sensitive finicky skin type. It hydrates, plumps and smooths the skin and I really like how it works well under a wide range of foundations. The pot is huge and I’ve had it for a little over a year and still haven’t finished it (although I had used up 2 of the mini travel size ones). I was lucky to receive an early preview of the Magic Night Cream and Magic Eye Rescue and have been putting them to the test for 12 days now and have some first thoughts and impressions to share with you today.

There are now three skincare products in her Magic Line which she calls her Magic Skin Trilogy. You can buy all three in her Magic Skin Trilogy Set for $285 or the items individually:
  • Magic Cream $100 (50 ml/1.7 fl oz) is a white cream moisturizer for day. It has ingredients to stimulate collagen and protect skin from environmental toxins. I also contains Vitamin E to heal skin and reduce inflammation. I found that it smooths the overall complexion and creates a glowing base to prepare skin for makeup. I do find it soothing and it absorbs nicely. The texture is creamy enough to feel moisturizer but as a cream it’s not heavy. It does have a sunscreen smell which takes some getting used to.
  • Magic Night Cream $145 (50 ml/1.7 fl oz) is a super concentrated rich night cream. It contains Red Algea Marigel to smooth and protect skin, Winter Daphne Stem Cell Extract that comes from the Winter Daphne Plants to moisturize the skin and give it a youthful firm look, Olus Oil for the texture and Caster Seed Oil to add moisture.
  • Magic Eye Rescue $60 (15 ml/.05 fl oz) is a moisturizer designed to brighten dark circles, reduce puffiness and improve the texture of the skin. It contains what Charlotte Tilbury calls Time Released Retinol molecules that help boost the rejuvenation process of skin cells to give the skin a more radiant look.

A closer look at all three and some thoughts on my experience with each skincare item:

The Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream is one of my favorite day creams. I acquired a couple deluxe sized travel sample at a couple events (gift with purchases). I ended up using up two of them although in hindsight I should have stuck with using the full size and kept the minis for actual travel trips. A little goes a long way. This has been one of my top four most-used face creams I tested this year which also include the Eve Lom Brightening Cream, Tatcha Indigo Soothing Triple Recovery Cream and First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream. It smooths and hydrates the skin. I like that it’s heavy enough for dry skin days but light enough that I don’t feel it once it sets on the skin. It works well with every foundation I’ve tested. It really does give the skin a more youthful appearance.

If you’re unsure about spending $100 on the full size, she has it available in a few trial sets this holiday. You can find it in a mini in her Gift of Goddess Travel Trio Kit ($59 for three minis of Magic Cream, Wonderglow and Clay Mask) or her Gift of Red Carpet Travel Kit ($85 for give deluxe-sized skincare minis of Magic Cream, Wonderglow, Glay Mask, Multi Miracle Glow, Supermodel Body and Take it All Off). I ordered this cream over a year ago when it launched and can say that it will last you a long time.

Ingredients: WATER (AQUA/EAU), HOMOSALATE , GLYCERYL STEARATE SE, ETHYLHEXYL SALICYLATE, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, GLYCERIN, BUTYL METHOXYDIBENZOYLMETHANE, OCTOCRYLENE, CETYL ALCOHOL, C12-15 ALKYL BENZOATE, CYCLOPENTASILOXANE, DIMETHICONE, PHENOXYETHANOL, BUTYROSPERMUM PARKII (SHEA) BUTTER, STEARETH-21, AVENA SATIVA (OAT) KERNEL EXTRACT, CARBOMER, DIMETHICONOL, POTASSIUM CETYL PHOSPHATE, CHLORPHENESIN, CAPRYLYL GLYCOL, XANTHAN GUM, HYDROLYZED VIOLA TRICOLOR EXTRACT, ALLANTOIN, ALOE BARBADENSIS LEAF JUICE, DISODIUM EDTA, TOCOPHERYL ACETATE, CAMELLIA OLEIFERA SEED OIL, ROSA CANINA FRUIT OIL, ROSA DAMASCENA FLOWER WATER, SODIUM HYDROXIDE, HELIANTHUS ANNUUS (SUNFLOWER) SEED OIL, MICHELIA ALBA LEAF OIL, SODIUM LACTATE, COCO-GLUCOSIDE, PEG-8, ETHYLHEXYLGLYCERIN, SODIUM HYALURONATE, TOCOPHEROL, PALMITOYL OLIGOPEPTIDE, PALMITOYL TETRAPEPTIDE-7, ASCORBYL PALMITATE, PLUMERIA RUBRA FLOWER EXTRACT, ASCORBIC ACID, CITRIC ACID, NICOTIANA SYLVESTRIS LEAF CELL CULTURE, LINALOOL, CITRONELLOL, GERANIOL.

When I heard there would be a Magic Night Cream launching I had very high hopes. Sometimes with skincare I think I set my expectations too high and am let down when my skin shows no signs of improvement. I am relieved to say that after testing this for over a week, this is something I will use up to the end. The Magic Night Cream is a super rich night treatment. It has an almost gel-cream hybrid texture. It is scented which I find hard to describe but it’s extremely unique and almost spa-like. If she made this in a body lotion I would totally wear it.

The first night I used the cream I used too much and my face felt like I was literally wearing a thick sticky face mask to sleep. A little goes a very very long way – I found that two dabs on the tips of two fingers is really all I need to cover the entire face. I take two fingers dab it lightly into the cream and then apply it to the palm of my other hand. I rub my hands together and then apply. If your skin feels sticky or goopy you’ve applied too much.

After figuring out the right amount to use, I find that it gives the skin a veil of moisture. It is slightly heavy but it does absorb well into the skin. In the mornings when I wake up, the skin is noticeably soft, very smooth, feels plump and looks well rested. I’m the worst when it comes to applying night treatments on a regular basis because I don’t like the feeling of product on my face when I sleep. The dry and cold weather has made my skin itchy and in need of extra moisture. This does just the trick. I highly recommend you watch Goss Makeup Artist’s Video on this one. It shows how glowing his skin is.

Ingredients:GLYCERIN, AQUA/WATER/EAU, RICINUS COMMUNIS (CASTOR) SEED OIL, CAPRYLIC/CAPRIC TRIGLYCERIDE, SUCROSE STEARATE, ETHYLHEXYL STEARATE, OLUS OIL (VEGETABLE OIL/HUILE VÉGÉTALE), DIPENTAERYTHRITYL HEXACAPRYLATE/HEXACAPRATE, HYDROXYSTEARIC/LINOLENIC/OLEIC POLYGLYCERIDES, C20-40 ALCOHOLS, ISODECYL NEOPENTANOATE, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, PHENOXYETHANOL, MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE, CERA ALBA (BEESWAX/CIRE D’ABEILLE), ETHYLHEXYLGLYCERIN, CHLORPHENESIN, CELLULOSE GUM, HYDROXYPROPYL CYCLODEXTRIN, PARFUM (FRAGRANCE), TITANIUM DIOXIDE, XANTHAN GUM, CHONDRUS CRISPUS EXTRACT, SQUALANE, HELIANTHUS ANNUUS (SUNFLOWER) SEED OIL, RETINOL, PEG-8, CARAMEL, TOCOPHEROL, DAPHNE ODORA CALLUS EXTRACT, ASCORBYL PALMITATE, NICOTIANA SYLVESTRIS LEAF CELL CULTURE, PLUMERIA RUBRA FLOWER EXTRACT, UBIQUINONE, LECITHIN, ASCORBIC ACID, CITRIC ACID, ASCORBYL TETRAISOPALMITATE, BENZOIC ACID, HEXYL CINNAMAL, BENZYL BENZOATE, LINALOOL, HYDROXYCITRONELLAL, CINNAMYL ALCOHOL, EUGENOL, RED 33 (CI 17200), YELLOW 6 (CI 15985), YELLOW 5 (CI 19140).

The Charlotte Tilbury Magic Eye Rescue Cream is another winner. For me it’s on par with the Chanel Sublimage Eye Cream and Tatcha Under Eye Cream in terms of moisturizing effects. I would say the Charlotte Tilbury is somewhere in the middle of those two with the Chanel being more hydrating for day and excellent for night and the Tatcha being more lightweight and better for day. I’m super picky with eye treatments – so many sting my eyes if it creeps the slightest bit into the corners. The Charlotte Tilbury Eye Cream is very good and doesn’t interfere with eye makeup or concealer. There are a lot of eye creams I can use alone on no-makeup days but cannot use under makeup because it either makes eye color slide off or foundation look cakey if I apply it on top (examples include ones from Fresh, Philosophy, Clinique to name a few). The Charlotte Tilbury one true to the quality and style of her Magic Cream works well for day under makeup to give a glowing lit from within look under the eyes.

I will need to test it more to see if it really does brighten the skin over the long term. But just with a week + of use I can see the texture has improved and it does lift and firm under the eye area and adds the perfect amount of moisture + glow. I give it a thumbs up. On this one there is a soft skincare scent but it’s not fragranced.

Ingredients: AQUA/WATER/EAU, CAPRYLIC/CAPRIC TRIGLYCERIDE, BUTYLENE GLYCOL, POLYSORBATE 60, OLUS OIL (VEGETABLE OIL/ HUILE VÉGÉTALE), PEG-7 GLYCERYL COCOATE, GLYCERIN, BUTYROSPERMUM PARKII (SHEA BUTTER), PEG-8, ETHYLHEXYL STEARATE, DICAPRYLYL ETHER, SORBITAN STEARATE, HYDROXYETHYL ACRYLATE/SODIUM ACRYLOYLDIMETHYL TAURATE COPOLYMER, OLIVE OIL PEG-7 ESTERS, PHENOXYETHANOL, SACCHARIDE ISOMERATE, C12-16 ALCOHOLS, CERA ALBA (BEESWAX/ CIRE D’ABEILLE ), GLYCERYL STEARATE, HYDROGENATED CASTOR OIL, SQUALANE, ETHYLHEXYLGLYCERIN, CHLORPHENESIN, , HYDROGENATED LECITHIN, HYDROLYZED RICE PROTEIN, PALMITIC ACID, XANTHAN GUM, CHONDRUS CRISPUS EXTRACT, DISODIUM EDTA, HELIANTHUS ANNUUS (SUNFLOWER) SEED OIL, SORBITAN ISOSTEARATE, SODIUM HYDROXIDE, GLYCINE SOJA (SOYBEAN) PROTEIN, HYDROXYPROPYL CYCLODEXTRIN, SUPEROXIDE DISMUTASE, CITRIC ACID, TOCOPHEROL, SODIUM CITRATE, SODIUM BENZOATE, SODIUM PCA, ASCORBYL PALMITATE, RETINOL, DAPHNE ODORA CALLUS EXTRACT, SODIUM DEXTRAN SULFATE, NICOTIANA SYLVESTRIS LEAF CELL CULTURE, ALUMINUM HYDROXIDE, PLUMERIA RUBRA FLOWER EXTRACT, BORAGO OFFICINALIS SEED OIL, TOCOPHERYL ACETATE, ASCORBIC ACID, LECITHIN, POTASSIUM SORBATE, RETINYL PALMITATE, ASCORBYL TETRAISOPALMITATE, TITANIUM DIOXIDE (CI 77891), IRON OXIDES (CI77491, CI 77492).

Overall both the Magic Night Cream and Magic Eye Rescue have exceeded my expectations. I do think both of them are items I will use to the very end. Out of the two I have to say I am most impressed with the Eye Cream – especially with the way it wears under makeup and has enough moisture without feeling greasy. The Night Cream does such an amazing job at moisturizing the skin over night and improving texture – but I suspect the texture or scent won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. I think it’s perfect for this time of year – especially when I feel like my skin is lacking in luster and glow because the weather seems to suck the life of my face. Both have performed really well with my super sensitive skin and I highly recommend both.

Let me know if you’re interested in another update on these next month. I’m testing a few other items in skincare and testing takes time, so I try to split up my testing into segments so I can see the effects of items separately. If you haven’t tried her Magic Cream I highly recommend you do. 

You can find the Charlotte Tilbury Magic Night Cream and Magic Eye Rescue exclusively online at Charlotte Tilbury and Nordstrom right now. They will launch at other retailers next month.

Have you tried any of the skincare from Charlotte Tilbury yet? What did you think?

Press samples reviewed include the Magic Night Cream and Magic Eye Rescue.

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Lips Tom Ford Beauty

Tom Ford Lips and Boys Preview Event + Beauty Look Book Picks

December 28, 2015

Tom Ford Beauty launched 25 new shades of Lips and Boys Lip Colors ($35 each) alongside 25 re-promoted colors from last year. I was fortunate to attend a preview event with my friend Rae from the RaeViewer last month at the boutique in Beverly Hills. If you haven’t visited the store before and are ever in the area I recommend stopping by – it’s beautiful inside! At the event there were small displays of lipstick testers scattered throughout the store. Rae and I had the best time searching the store for the new shades. At the event I picked out 6 colors (3 were gifted) – it was hard not to buy the remaining colors because they were all stunning! I did a bit of research over the next week and ordered 6 more. In total I’ve ended up with 12 of the new shades and am beyond thrilled with them.

First a few thoughts, impressions and more preview pictures of the store event. The 25 new shades launched this year all seem more shimmery compared to last year’s launch. Most have a smooth shimmer, a few had sparkly chunks (some of the deeper brights). Out of all the ones that caught my eye, only one is a cream (Austin). The finish of the shimmers is smooth and creamy. Smooth like the Lip Sheers but with more pigment and color payoff. The good news is all the colors are permanent!

Repromoted shades include (swatches of my last year’s picks here):

Addison, Alejandro, Beau, Cary, Collin, Flynn, Giacomo, Guillermo, Henry, Holden, Ian, James, Julian, Justin, Leonardo, Liam, Luciano, Michael, Pablo, Patrick, Rafael, Richard, Starvos, Wes, Xavier

Newly launched colors are:

Alex, Ansel, Austin, Daniel, David, Demsey, Derek, Drake, Eddie, Egon, Eric, Hiro, Jake, Jay, Joaquin, Jude, Kingston, Louis, Malik, Roberto, Rocco, Roman, Theo, Tony, Vladimir

A few more snapshots of the beautiful store, could an evening of playing with lipstick, champagne and small bites be more fun?

My picks, mostly neutrals of course with a couple brighter shades. Left to right below is Ansel, Austin, Daniel, Demsey, Drake, Eddie, Egon, Eric, Jake, Jude, Malik and Vladimir.

Descriptions of each of the colors and then a few close ups:

  • Ansel is a shimmering bright but neutral pink
  • Austin is a creamy nude pink (lighter than Addison/Pink Dusk)
  • Daniel is a mauve neutral shimmer
  • Demsey is a warm peachy shimmer (less frost and more peach compared to William/Sweet Mystery)
  • Drake is a shimmering cool mauve plum with silver shimmer
  • Eddie is a neutral beige shimmer
  • Egon is a cool beige shimmer
  • Eric is a medium warm rose, on me it pulls very warm
  • Jake is a medium rosy shimmer pink
  • Jude is a cool-toned light baby pink
  • Malik is a complex mauve pink with gold shimmer
  • Vladimir is a cool taupe nude shimmer
A few more close ups and swatches:

For skintone reference, I’m wear Tom Ford Traceless Perfecting Foundation in Bisque 4 (swatches of all colors here, review + comparisons of shade 4 here):

In case you’re wondering how the new neutrals compare to other colors, I pulled some other Tom Ford shades to compare by color grouping. There are a couple repeats in some sets. Many of these I’ve swatched before. I’ll link the previous reviews where applicable for reference. Below are six sets of comparison swatches.

My desktop clutter:

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Lips and Boys in Peter was discontinued but replaced with Lip Color in Sweet Mystery
Lips and Boys in Orlando was discontinued

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As a huge fan of Tom Ford lip colors in general, I’m smitten with the new colors. I think for the neutrals there’s a lot to love. I like that there are new neutrals that aren’t repeats of other existing colors. I didn’t pay too much attention to the deeper shades or brights but from what I remember swatching in the store – there is a lot that looks different from last year’s launch. From this year’s new batch of colors, my top picks:

Jake
Ansel
Demsey
Daniel
Eddie

The Lips and Boys launched this year are permanent so the good news is there’s no rush to run out and purchase a color for fear it will sell out. They retail for $35 each, or you can find some colors in the 10 Piece Set for $350 or all 50 Shades in a set for $1,950. Available at Tom Ford Boutiques and counters. Online at Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman and Bloomingdale’s.

Did you pick up any of the new shades this year?

Three of the Lips and Boys shades featured were gifted, the remaining purchased by me.

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Diptyque Holiday Gift Guide

Diptyque Advent Calendar Reveal Part 3

December 25, 2015

Today is the last reveal of the 2015 Diptyque Advent Calendar contents from Days 19 through 25. Several of you have mentioned you were surprised that Baies hadn’t made an appearance yet, but Diptyque saved the best for last and on Day 25 they calendar reveals a small Baies Candle. For those who missed the previous posts you can see Part 1 and Part 2. The Diptyque Advent Calendar was launched this year in extremely limited quantities. Being the die-hard fan that I am I tracked one down even though it was extremely spendy at $390. To recap on all the contents, it contains:
  • 15 (1.2 oz) mini candles in Ambre, Feu de Bois, Santal, Genevrier,
    Opoponax, Vanille, Cypres, Noiseter, 34, Oud, Geranium Rosa, Pomander,
    Figuier, Rose, Benjoin
  • 1 (2.4 oz) small candle in Baies
  • 6 (0.34 fl oz) perfumes in Oud, Florabellio, Do Son, Tam Dao, Philosykos, 34
  • 1 (15 ml) mini Precious Oil
  • 1 (15 ml) mini Rich Body Butter
The 15 baby sized candles are ones that are typically the ones with gift with purchases or in holiday sets like the 5 Piece Set (still available at Barney’s New York) or the 10 Piece Set (Nordstrom Exclusive). 

Size comparisons reposted here for reference:

This week from Day 19 to 25 the contents revealed candles in Roses, Baies, 34, Noisetter, Pomander and Benjoin and one fragrance Tam Dao. I’ve owned all the candles in the full size with the exception of Pomander.

Out of all the Diptyque candles I’ve tried (I haven’t tried them all, but I’ve tried quite a few), there are only two that I am not crazy about Benjoin and Feu de Bois. If you’re new to Diptyque or don’t have a store near you to smell the scents in person, I think the 10-Piece Set or this Advent Calendar is the best way to try the most without having to splurge on the full sizes which range from $32 to $60. Buying the individual smaller sizes at $32 each is more economical than splurging on the $60 standard size, however not all the scents are available in the small size.

In hindsight, I think the calendar was a luxurious splurge and I am really happy I was able to track one down however, given the fact that I’ve already tried most of the scents (candles and fragrances) I can’t say that it was something that allowed me to discover lots of new items – although there are quite a few that I hadn’t repurchased in a while so it was a nice way for me to rediscover some items. I did try two new body products that I hadn’t tried before which was nice. I will use them up to the end as they are minis but probably will not repurchase in the full size (still a fan of the Diptyque Shower Gel though).
In the end, did I think it was worth it? Yes it was worth it to me – the presentation is beautiful and it was really fun to open up a new item every day this past month. Do I think it was a good value? I do think it’s the best set yet as a way to try a little bit of everything from Diptyque, but in terms of value or savings, I don’t think I could say this was a good deal. Will I be tracking one down next year? I don’t know – it depends on the contents. I think it would have been nice if they included a sneak peek of upcoming launches for the next year, but I do understand some brands don’t launch items or information ahead of time.

As with the other reveals, I have one last giveaway for the year. One lucky winner will receive a $100 e-gift card to Nordstrom – enter via Rafflecopter below. It’s open internationally but you must be 18 years or older to enter. The giveaway runs today through 1/1/2016 and winner will be selected randomly through the Rafflecopter widget and contact by me via e-mail. All Terms and Conditions are listed through the widget as well.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!

 

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Laura Mercier

A Few New Discoveries from Laura Mercier

December 22, 2015

Several of you have asked for swatches and more thoughts on the Laura Mercier In The Glow Trio ($38, featured here). Unfortunately by this time it has sold out everywhere but I thought I’d share swatches anyways along with a review of other recent discoveries from the line. I’ve had the Lip Glacé ($25) in Rose Gold Accent on my radar for months. I was hesitant about the sparkle but decided to cave and buy it and I’m glad I did. The Lip Parfait Creamy Colorbalms ($25) launched earlier this year. I fell in love with the creamy formula and wanted so badly for Amaretto Swirl to work for me – alas I found it too pale for my pigmented lips and decided to opt for Cinn-ful instead. Last but not least, I’ve been playing around with some skincare. I’m one who likes the soothing calming effects of skincare with rose, but my super sensitive nose makes it hard for me to wear rose-scented products sometimes. The Laura Mercier Infusion de Rose ($24-$68, or $110 for the trio set) items are really good for dry winter skin but are super gentle on the fragrance.

Up first is the sold-out In the Glow Trio Set. It had mini sizes of the Matte Radiance Baked Powder in Highlight 01 (0.06 oz.), Bonne Mine Stick Face Colour in Peach Glow (0.12 oz.) and a Caviar Stick Eye Colour in Rosegold (0.03 oz.). You can buy all the items in the full-size version. I had been wanting to try both of the face products and thought this would be a good starter set to test out the items without splurging on the full size. For my medium-olive toned skin, I found both the cheek products very natural on me. 

Bonne Mine Stick Face Colour in Peach Glow gives a very natural peachy glow. Because it’s a close match to my skintone, it gives a barely there glow. It’s a lovely natural cream blush but I suspect it would be more visible on fairer skintones.

The Matte Radiance Powder seems like a contradiction with the both of the words matte and radiant in the same name. On my arm it swatches like a shimmery pale champagne. On my face it translates into more of a matte finishing glow. Long-time readers know I am beyond obsessed with Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Luminous Light (it’s my holy grail powder highlighter). The Laura Mercier Highlight 01 Powder by comparison swatches paler on the arms, but applies on the face sheerer and less glowy. I’m probably not fair enough to be able to use it to set my entire face, but it does act more like a soft finishing powder on me.

Rosegold Caviar Eye Color Stick is a no-fuss easy to wear kind of lid color. I use it regularly (at least 2 times every week) as a base or a quick swipe-and-go kind of color. Here’s an eye look with three of the colors including Rosegold in this post here.

I’m glad I was able to test the 2 face products, I will use them to the end. However I prefer the darker Matte Radiance Powders as they show up better on my skin and add life and a very natural contour. The Bonne Mine Cheek Stick is lovely, but also too light for my medium-olive skin to show up other than having a natural glow. That being said it makes for a good base under powder blushes or bronzers.

Up next are the two lip products I picked up: Lip Parfait Creamy Colorbalm in Cinn-ful and Lip Glacé in Rose Gold Accent.

The Lip Parfait Creamy Colorbalm in Cinn-ful is a super creamy lush brown cinnamon color. On me it’s a darker/warmer your lips but better kind of shade. Amaretto Swirl looks like the most wonderful nude and it is – just on me it was too pale. I suspect I could make it work with liner, but I picked up Cinn-ful to test out the formula. It’s one of the creamiest lip balms I’ve tried and even though it’s a balm, pigment and color payoff is quite impressive. Most tinted balms are sheer to medium in color. This one acts more like a lipstick in terms of finish.

The Lip Glacé in Rose Gold Accent is part of the Candleglow Collection. I had my eye on the Candleglow Palette but after seeing it in stores I decided to pass. The colors, shimmer and pigment are all excellent – it still very tempting, but I found the pans of the top four colors too small to justify the splurge. Rose Gold Accent is a sparkling gloss with a baby pink base. It’s basically clear with loads of shimmer on the lips but I like that it makes the lips look full and healthy without being too glitzy. It’s been a while since I backed-up a lip gloss, I may back up this one.

Last but not least is the Infusion de Rose Nourishing Skincare Line. There are three items in the collection which are available in a limited-edition Infusion de Rose Nourishing Collection set for $110 (it’s a $44 savings). I am smitten with all three items, I think they are particularly good for winter weather right now. The rose soothes and hydrates the skin and makes it feel super smooth. I can’t emphasize enough how thrilled I am that the rose scent is very soft and barely there. Some rose-scented creams are so strong I can’t wear them at night because it prevents me from falling asleep. The ones from Laura Mercier are soft enough that it doesn’t bother me.

You can buy all the items separately which includes:

  • Flawless Skin Infusion de Rose Nourishing Oil (1 oz.) is a super lightweight nourishing oil. It conditions the skin and leaves it glowing. I normally wear beauty face oils on weekends (no makeup days) or at night as I find many interfere with the lasting power of foundation. This one worked really well for me under foundation.
  • Infusion de Rose Nourishing Creme (1 oz.) is a smooth feeling cream. It’s emollient and super hydrating. I will say that it is on the emollient side but it doesn’t feel super heavy and absorbs nicely into the skin. A little goes a long way, I really like that it has a smooth lightweight texture.
  • Infusion de Rose Nourishing Lip Balm (0.4 oz.) is a new lip balm. It’s super hydrating and makes the lips feel soft and moisturized. Review in my lip balm roundup here. Right now it’s exclusive to Laura Mercier’s website (if you want to buy it separately). I suspect it will launch at other retailers soon.
I think it’s a winning skincare set. I’ve been testing the items for a full month now and can say they have been really good for dry winter weather but still gentle enough for my normal/combination skin.

I hope you found this mini review helpful. I think the Rose Gold Accent Lip Glace is a winner, even though I usually don’t like super sparkly lip glosses, it’s really pretty on. The Infusion de Rose Skincare collection was a pleasant surprise because I ended up liking the entire collection. I was really lucky to receive the In the Glow Trio as a press sample, but after testing it – I can’t say that I’ve discovered any new must-haves. The only must-have in the set for me is the Rosegold Caviar Eye Stick (and I already own the full size). Still sets are a nice way to test something at a cheaper price before committing to the full size.

Do you have any new Laura Mercier favorites? I just saw the Candleglow Foundation popped up online at Sephora. This upcoming month is going to be the season of new foundations and I can’t wait to test them!

You can find Laura Mercier at a number of different retailers. Online at Laura Mercier, Sephora, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Macy’s, Bloomingdales.
Note if you’re shopping for last minute gifts, many are offering expedited shipping upgrades with qualifying purchases. The best one I’ve seen is Nordstrom is offering expedited free shipping until noon EST by December 23rd on qualifying items, each item has an indicator, no min-purchase needed.
Press samples featured include the In the Glow Trio and Infusion de Rose Set.
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Diptyque Holiday Gift Guide

Diptyque Advent Calendar Reveal Part 2

December 18, 2015

I have a quick post today revealing the contents of the 2015 Diptyque Advent Calendar for Days 8 through 18. I’ve been good on this one and have opened one each day although I’ve been tempted to cheat and open all the days at once (I already did it for one other beauty calendar, lol). In case you missed Part 1 of the series, the Diptyque Advent Calendar retailed for $390 and sold out at lightening speed. I was lucky to find one even though I was waitlisted. Full contents listed in Part 1.

I haven’t burned all the scents yet, there is one in this week’s reveal that I actually haven’t tried yet which is Cypres. I keep sticking to my favorites Baies, Cuir, Figuier, Noisetter but this sampler set provides a nice way for me to branch out and try other scents.

There are two mini body products this week and I think I have finally found one product from Diptyque that I’m not head over heels in love with. The Rich Body Butter is indeed very rich and moisturizing but I’m not a fan of the scent. It’s very floral with notes of Byzantine rose and Turkish delight. I am really picky with rose scents and I find there is a fine line between a good soft floral and floral overload. If you like rose scents you will probably like the Body Butter. For me it’s too strong.

The other body product is the Precious Oil for Bath and Body. I will need to test this one more, I haven’t tried it in the bath yet, but on dry skin it’s emollient without being greasy. It is scented but it’s a fresh citrus scent (thank goodness it’s not floral). I’m not sure that I would wear this one with perfume as I think it would interfere with other fragrances. If you’ve tried this let me know what you think.

There are three fragrance minis in 34, Do Son and Oud Palao. I’ve tried all three in minis before and I’m not a fan of the Oud – it’s too masculine and heavy in my opinion, but I have a few close friends who are fans of Oud so I’m regifting it to one of them. I really like Do Son and 34 – I’ve accumulated several minis from previous gift with purchases so I’ve never bought the full size even though the bottles are so gorgeous.

As promised with my last reveal, I’m doing another giveaway. This time it’s a $50 e-Gift Card to Nordstrom. It’s open internationally but you must be 18 years or older to qualify. Simply enter through the widget below. Deadline to enter is 12/21/2015 at 11:45 PM PST. Winner will be selected randomly via the Rafflecopter widget, announced on the widget and contacted by e-mail (from me) within 5 days after giveaway entry period ends. If you’re a selected winner and a non-US resident, you may opt to receive $50 USD via Paypal instead.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck! 
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Eye Makeup Urban Decay

Best of Urban Decay Cosmetics

December 9, 2015
Urban Decay Nordstrom The Beauty Look Book

If I were stuck on a desert island and could only have one makeup palette with me, it would be any of the Urban Decay Naked Palettes. I’ve been such a huge fan of Urban Decay for years and out of all the makeup I’ve bought, tried and tested, the Naked2 and Naked3 Eyeshadow Palettes are hands down my favorites – ever. I’ve done quite a few reviews on each palette in the past but I don’t think I’ve ever rounded them all up in one post. Today I’ve teamed up with Nordstrom to share my favorites from the line along with swatches and thoughts on their latest launch the UD x Gwen Stefani Eyeshadow Palette.

The Naked, Naked2, Naked3 and Naked Smoky Palettes all have a mix of beautiful neutrals. Each palette offers a diverse range of colors and textures ranging from matte, shimmer, frost, glitter and satin. The texture of the shadows are amazingly smooth, rich and super easy to blend. They last all day on my lids – although some of the glitter shades will have some fallout. I would say Naked has the most diverse range of neutrals from light, medium to dark. It has a split mix of warm and cool shades. Naked2 is the most neutral option with colors that will make any taupe lover go crazy. It has 2 of my favorite colors in YDK and Suspect (also available individually). Naked3 is the rosy pink neutral option, as one who rarely wears pink eye shadow, it was a huge surprise to me at how wearable the colors in this one are. The colors are absolutely perfect. The latest Naked palette is the Naked Smoky which I adore but is hit or miss for many. It’s the darkest and most dramatic mix of neutrals – the texture of the shadows is slightly harder than the other palettes, but I find pigment to still be excellent and easy to blend.

Urban Decay Naked Palettes

Urban Decay Naked Palettes

Urban Decay Naked Palettes swatched

The best matte eyeshadow palettes on the market are the Urban Decay Naked Basics and Naked2 Basics. I passed on the Naked Basics one for the longest time because I thought the colors would be too light for my skintone. Thanks to the extra push from my readers, I bought it and have been really happy. I don’t usually like matte shadows because I find they are either too sheer or too intense. Sheer ones just don’t show up on my skin, intense ones are too powdery or creamy and make my lids look wrinkled. The ones from Urban Decay are the perfect texture to just melt into the skin but at the same time the pigment shows up really well. The colors are easy to blend with each other. I like using these alone or mixed with shimmer colors. If I had to pick one, I would say Naked2 Basics is my favorite for my medium olive-toned skin, but both are really good.
Urban Decay Naked Basics and Naked2 Basics

The 24/7 Glide-On Eyeliner Pencils come in a wide range of colors. I of course prefer the neutrals (there are tons of options in this range), but there are lots of bold brights and shimmers that are really fun. I always have Bourbon on hand, I have a few actually. One is a mini from a holiday set, and I also have the full size. It’s a shimmering dark chocolate brown. Rockstar is a classic deep plum. I like that it’s deep but not so dark that it looks black. The Naked Double-Ended Pencils are nice to have for travel because you get 2 shades in one stick.

If you’ve used Urban Decay for a long time, you are probably aware of the lipstick changes over the years. The formulas have changed numerous times (they used to have their glosses in a squeeze tube, anyone remember Midnight Cowboy?). Right now three current lip formulas I like include the Ultra Nourishing Lipgloss, Revolution Hi-Color Lipgloss and Revolution Lipstick.

The Ultra Nourishing Lipglosses are cushiony shiny glosses. They are on the sheer side, so many of them end up looking very similar once on the lips with slight variations. My favorite is Naked because it has the prettiest sheen and shimmer that makes the lips look full but not too full.

The Revolution High-Color Lipgloss is a rich pigment gloss that is almost like a liquid lipstick. The two neutrals in the line are Kinky and Liar, I almost bought both but they are really similar. Liar is deeper and more pink, while Kinky is more beige and peachy.

For the lipsticks, I’ve only bought one formula. There are three formulas of lipstick. The Revolution Lipstick is the classic version which offers creamy pigmented coverage with a bit of a sheen. Lasting power is really good. There is also the Revolution Sheer Lipstick and Revolution Matte Lipstick as well which I haven’t tested on my lips, but when swatching them in store, the sheers are just that – sheer. The mattes are full coverage velvets.

For the face, the Naked Skin products have often received high ratings and raves. I have tried two items and really like them. The Naked Skin Ultra Definition Powder Foundation is a smooth powder that gives natural medium to full coverage. I use the shade Medium Light Warm. I like to use it to set liquid foundation or for mid-day touch ups on the T-zone. As a foundation it lasts pretty long and looks very natural. I like that it doesn’t cake even if you use the sponge. The Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer is a great concealer for both under eye and spot coverage. It’s full coverage without looking cakey. My match is Medium Neutral and I like how it really covers but blends well into the skin so it looks like your skin.

Swatches of all the concealer shades:

Last but not least, the latest from Urban Decay is a celebrity collaboration. They just launched the UD x Gwen Stefani Eyeshadow Palette (limited-edition). Being a fan of both, I knew had to buy it even though at first glance there were 2 shades I thought might be questionable. Here’s a quick snapshot below to show you the size/scale of the packaging compared to the other palettes. It has 15 eyeshadows in a large mirrored compact (Naked palettes have 6 to 12 shades). I love the little detailing on the mirror.

 

UD x Gwen Stefani Palette

The 15 shades are mostly neutral with 3 colors that offer a bit of pop. There is a good mix of matte, shimmer and satin with one glittery shade and two colors that are on the sparkly side. I’ve been playing with this for only a few days but initial thoughts are thumbs up.

UD x Gwen Stefani Palette

Descriptions of the colors in the UD x Gwen Stefani Palette:

  • Blondie is a shimmering pale cool-toned cream
  • Bathwater is a frosted yellow champagne
  • Skimp is a satiny soft pale cream with pink tones
  • Steady is a shimmering beige pink
  • Punk is a matte warm brown
  • Baby is a shimmering neutral mauve pink taupe
  • Anaheim is a matte fawn beige
  • Stark is a matte warm beige
  • Zone is a matte tan
  • Serious is a satiny grey brown with shimmer, goes on more matte
  • Pop is a glitter champagne sparkle
  • Harajuku is a cool-toned blue based pink shimmer
  • Danger is a sparkling bright navy
  • 1987 is a sparkling gold
  • Blackout is a matte black
Pigment on all the colors is really good. There is some fallout with a few of the shimmering sparkles like Harajuku, 1987 and Baby, but once on the lids they stay put. The only color I wasn’t thrilled with is Pop mainly because it has crazy fall out with the glittery chunks unless you pat on the lids with a finger (over cream shadow to help it stick). I thought Danger would be a mess but it actually stayed put and didn’t fall all over the face when I applied with a detail brush. I thought Harajuku would give me a pink-eye look but it’s actually a very wearable pink.

Quick eye look with six colors layered and blended. The camera flash washed out the colors but I included a snapshot of the colors lined up together I used to help show the mix:

That rounds up my favorites from Urban Decay. There are a lot of single shadows that fall in the shimmer neutral category that are staples in my weekly makeup routine but the palettes are so much more convenient to use. Many times I find palettes have a few shades that I don’t like but with the Naked ones, I like every color in every palette.

If you’re looking for a versatile palette, you can’t go wrong the Naked Palettes. My top 3 favorites are Naked2, Naked3 and Naked2 Basics – they are good for everyday, great for travel and have enough color to create a look for evening or special occasions. The colors are timeless and you can wear them any time of year.

Do you have any Urban Decay favorites? I’m curious about the Naked Skin Foundation, Loose Powder and Afterglow Blush – if you have any thoughts please let me know, I’d be interested to hear what you think.

Thanks to Nordstrom for teaming up to sponsor this post. As always, all opinions my own.

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Diptyque Fragrance Gift Guide Home / Interiors

Diptyque Advent Calendar – Holiday 2015

December 8, 2015
Diptyque Advent Calendar 2015 Christmas

Beauty Advent Calendars have been around for years in Europe, the ones launched in the UK have been on my radar for many holidays and much to my dismay the good ones have never been available in the US. This year, Diptyque launched an Advent Calendar which sold out at lightening speed. By the time I called my local store they had sold through all the ones they received, but they put my name on a waitlist. I was thrilled to find they were able to find one for me and will be doing a reveal of the contents each week.

 

The Diptyque Advent Calendar this year is priced at a jaw-dropping $390, but the set is quite impressive. It contains a mix of 25 mini-sized Diptyque items including candles, fragrance and body products. A huge part of me cannot believe that I splurged so much on a single beauty set, but another part is giddy with excitement. The Advent Calendar comes in a beautiful large box and black bow. It’s taken a lot of self control for me to not open all the little doors at once time. They did list all the contents online, it contains:
  • 15 (1.2 oz) mini candles in Ambre, Feu de Bois, Santal, Genevrier, Opoponax, Vanille, Cypres, Noiseter, 34, Oud, Geranium Rosa, Pomander, Figuier, Rose, Benjoin
  • 1 (2.4 oz) small candle in Baies
  • 6 (0.34 fl oz) perfumes in Oud, Florabellio, Do Son, Tam Dao, Philosykos, 34
  • 1 (15 ml) mini Precious Oil
  • 1 (15 ml) mini Rich Body Butter
Here’s a look at the box with two items for scale:

Diptyque Advent Calendar 2015 Holiday
A look inside the box, each day has a little perforated door to open:

Holiday 2015 Diptyque Advent Calendar

Contents of Days 1 through 7:

Breaking down the price of the set versus individual items is a bit of a challenge since the minis aren’t usually sold separately. At $390 this Advent Calendar is the ultimate splurge. This is for the person who is a Diptyque lover, or for someone who wants to try a little bit of everything in mini-sizes. For a few reference points:
  • The 5 Piece Set is $75 and 10 Piece Set is $130. Both contain the baby candles that are also in the Advent Calendar, so the price per candle is either $13 or $15
  • The Eau de Parfume Set is $115 for 5 mini fragrances, although the size of each is 0.25 oz while the ones in the Advent Calendar are 0.34 oz
  • The 2.4 oz Baies is priced individually at $32
2015 Diptyque Advent Calendar

If you find this confusing, don’t worry, I did too, but bottom line is there doesn’t appear to be any price break by purchasing the calendar. Since it’s sold out and probably very difficult to find at this point, I would recommend the 10 Piece Candle Set as the next best alternative for someone who wants to experience as much Diptyque as possible for the best price.

Even though this Advent Calendar cost an arm and a leg (and then some) I do think it’s extra special. It has minis of candles and scents that you can’t usually buy separately at such a small trial size. I’m anxious to try them all over the next few months. I think it’s fun that they included so many different fragrances to try as well.

For fun, I’m going to be doing a few giveaways in the next few weeks. I’ll have a new giveaway with each weekly reveal. Ideally I wanted to giveaway a gift card to Diptyque so the winner could pick their own items, but their website doesn’t appear to sell them, so the next best thing is one to Nordstrom. For this one, I’m giving away 1 $100 e-gift card to Nordstrom. It’s open internationally, but you must be 18 years or older to enter. If you’re a selected winner via the Rafflecopter widget and are located outside of the US, you can opt to receive $100 via Paypal. Entries will be collected through the widget – you can comment below in the blogger comments, but note valid entries are through the widget only.

Terms and conditions are listed in the widget below – selected winner will be chosen randomly via the Rafflecopter widget and announced below. I will e-mail the winner directly. Entries will be collected through 12/12/2015 11:59 PM PST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 Good luck!

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