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Clarins Lips

Clarins Instant Light Lip Balm Perfectors

August 3, 2015

 

Clarins launched a new tinted lip balm formula earlier this past spring called the Instant Light Lip Balm Perfector ($24 each for 1.8 g / 0.06 oz). There are six shades in total – all of which are pretty sheer but still have enough color to show up on the lips. Each of the lip balms have a very tiny amount of shimmer that’s only visible if you look at them up close in direct sunlight. Otherwise they act more like sheer creams and on my lips are essentially shimmer-free. These lip balms are designed to moisturize, plump and illuminate the lips with subtle, natural-looking color and shine and they do just that. They come in a sleek and slim twist up tube:

 

 

Testing by Clarins indicates lasting power should be 4 hours long. I experienced about the same and found these lasted between 3 to 4 hours if the lips are not touched by coffee cups, tea cups, soda or snacks. They have Wild Mango extract, shea butter, Vitamin E and a plant-extract from rice bran oil. I found these to be the most pleasant-feeling tinted lip balms I’ve tried. There is a slight sweet vanilla scent but it’s very subtle and not overpowering.

 

I’ve been really obsessed with the formula – they are sheer, glossy and add the perfect amount of color to the lips. They feel really amazing on my sensitive lips and leave them feeling smooth and well hydrated.

 

 

The only downside to these balms is the amount of product in each tube so the price per gram or oz is pretty high. These have 1.8 g and by comparison Fresh Sugar Shine Lip Treatments have 4.3 g and L’Occitane Peony Tinted Lip Balms have 4 g of product. I know many will want a comparison to other tinted lip balms – I would say the concept is similar but the texture is completely different. Fresh is thicker and softer in texture. Some of the brighter colors will give much more pigment and color payoff on the lips. L’Occitane’s lip balms have a harder texture and have more slip to them – they glide on and look more like a velvety stain. The Clarins by comparison is a lot more glossy and feels more hydrating on the lips.

 

Swatches and close ups of all six shades. #03 My Pink is a self-adjusting shade adapts to the pH of lips – on me it turns into a rosy healthy pink. Note that the swatches on the arm for #03 is a light pink but on the lips it will adjust/brighten depending on your pH.

 

 

 

Lip swatches below. For skintone reference I’m wearing Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet Foundation in Beige 40 with Urban Decay Naked Skin Ultra Definition Powder Foundation in Medium Light Warm.

 

 

 

Bottom line: the formula of the Clarins Instant Light Lip Balm Perfectors is a winner in my beauty book. They feel hydrating on the lips and there is enough color in these balms for them to show up on my pigmented lips. A closeup look at the colors show there is a tiny bit of shimmer in them but on the lips they look shimmer-free. Just naturally glossy and shiny. If you want something with similar shine and feel but with more color I would suggest looking into YSL Rouge Volupté Shines or Chanel Rouge Coco Shines – however those aren’t as hydrating as these Instant Light Lip Balm Perfectors. If you can get over the small product size (or the price per ounce) then these are ones I know I’ll use up entirely (where some lip balms take me forever to use). They are nice to throw in the purse for quick shine and touch ups and feel super nice on the lips. I recommend checking out at least one. There’s nothing else I’ve tried that makes the lips look as healthy and naturally plump as these. I’ve been testing these for a couple months now (sorry it took so long to post this review) and I’m already almost finished with Rosewood and Coral.

 

The Clarins Instant Light Lip Balm Perfectors retail for $24 each. You can find them at all Clarins retailers, online at Clarins.com, Macy’s, Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s, Lord and Taylor, Saks Fifth Avenue, Harrod’s and Selfridges.

 

The Clarins Lip Balms were provided for review consideration. As always, opinions are my own.

 

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Charlotte Tilbury Highlighters

Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze and Glow: Light-Medium, Medium-Dark and Sun Tan + Sun Light

July 24, 2015

I’ve been a huge fan of Charlotte Tilbury’s Filmstar Bronze and Glow Palette (originally reviewed here). It contains a bronzer and highlighter powder duo in a mirrored compact which creates depth and dimension. This month Charlotte Tilbury has launched two new extensions of her Filmstar Bronze and Glow in a Medium to Dark Palette and Sun Tan & Sunlight Cream Duo with the Norman Parkinson Collection – I ordered both online from Charlotte Tilbury’s website and have been playing with them for a few days. (The original version has now been renamed Light to Medium.) I really like the original version because it works well with my skin tone and skin type. Highlighters can sometimes emphasize pores but the one from Charlotte Tilbury adds a nice even natural glow even though it has more of a frost finish.

My skin tone has been around a Chanel Beige 30 and NARS Punjab for a long time. After our month long trip to Europe I got a bit darker which puts me at a Chanel Beige 40 range (post on summer foundation rotation soon). When I was medium to light the original Filmstar Bronze and Glow ($68) worked perfectly for me. Right now the bronzer is more subtle on my skin – it still shows up but it’s not quite as strong on my skin. In case you missed the original review, I’ve taken some new photos to post here.

The Filmstar Bronze and Glow Medium to Dark ($68) is designed for deeper skin tones. It’s quite a few shades darker than the Light to Medium with a deep shimmery luminous bronze and an orangey gold highlighter. I thought the concept of an orangey highlighter to be odd, even for those with tan to deep skin tones, but it’s surprisingly wearable and very pretty on the skin. I suspect if you have super fair skin the highlighter will look more like a strong blush. On me it’s not quite traditional highlighter material but it does give the skin a warm glow. When you swatch it on the arm it will appear orange like the color you see in the pan. On the face it adds a really interesting glow.

With the Norman Parkinson Collection, Charlotte Tilbury has a new limited-edition cream Filmstar Bronze and Glow in Sun Tan & Sun Light ($80). I’m usually not a fan of potted or pan creams because I find they get messy with fingers, debris, dust and even brushes but since this is from Charlotte Tilbury I had to give this a try. There is a medium tan cream side and a shimmering gold cream. The tan shade does not swatch well on bare arms but on the face it applies smoothly and blends very easily (I tested mine over foundation). The shimmering highlighter swatches nicely on the arms and face. The highlighter has visible sparkles in it but isn’t over the top and doesn’t emphasize pores. This one is more luminous compared to the original version but it’s easy to blend and sheer out. On my combination skin in this warm 80 degree weather it held up from morning until late afternoon without budging.

All come in the same sized-compact with two pans of
product and a large mirror. The packaging itself comes in a rose gold
metallic finish. The Norman Parkinson Sun Tan + Sun Light comes with a
photo shot by Parkinson of Jerry Hall for British Vogue taken on Montego
Bay, Jamaica, in 1975 on the lid. Also shown below is the Powder and Sculpt Brush which is sold separately.

I’ve swatched each one side by side. Note that all the swatches on the arms have been done with a rather heavy hand. Each one is easy to apply with a light hand and you can control intensity of color by layering. Pigment is pretty rich in each palette so I would recommend on your first few uses apply with a light hand and build up the color.

Below swatches of each version on the face. I have both the bronzer side + highlighter applied and blended lightly in each shot. For skin tone reference I’m wearing Marc Jacobs Genius Gel Super–Charged Oil–Free Foundation in Golden Medium with NARS All Day Luminous Powder Foundation in Punjab + Chanel Les Beiges 30 dusted on top to set. On the lips is Fresh Sugar Shine Lip Treatment in Nude (the gloss version). Coral nail polish is Essie Sunday Funday.

I’m really happy with the Medium to Dark version. It gives the face some warmth and color. I don’t know how the orange will translate on deeper skin tones – if you’ve tried this please chime in with your thoughts in the comments below. I applied with with a medium hand and it’s not too orangey. The cream duo in Sun Tan and Sunlight from Norman Parkinson is a really nice easy-to-use duo. It’s very luminous on my skin and as you can see in the photo above the sheen really stands out with a flash. Even in natural light the cream highlighter looks very luminous and on me it was easy to overdo. I recommend applying with a light hand but it gives a nice golden strobe effect.

For brush recommendations, after playing with the original one for a year, I have to say hands down the best one is the Charlotte Tilbury Powder and Sculpt Brush ($49). My original thoughts that it was not a must-have and could be replicated with other regular blush brushes. The shape, texture and density of the brush make this my go-to for any kind of subtle contour/highlighting. It’s one I reach for constantly even though I’m usually a fan of MAC cheek brushes. There are two sets available for each of the powder bronzer/highlight duos that offer a slight price break. The Filmstar Killer Cheekbones Light-Medium Set and Filmstar Killer Cheekbones Med-Dark retail for $110 each and come with the duo + brush in a gorgeous box. For the cream duo I’m still experimenting – so far I like using fingers the best.

All the Filmstar Bronze and Glows are available online now, they should be arriving at Charlotte Tilbury counters soon. Do note that the Norman Parkinson Duo is limited-edition. Available online at Nordstrom, Beautylish, Bergdorf Goodman, Net-A-Porter and Charlotte Tilbury.

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Dior Eye Makeup

Dior Eye Reviver Backstage Pros Illuminating Neutrals Eye Palette – Nordy Girl

July 23, 2015

Dior has a new Eye Reviver Backstage Pros Illuminating Neutrals Palette for the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale called Nordy Girl ($62 for 9.3 g/0.32 oz). This is a similar palette to the first version Illuminating Neutrals Eye Palette 001 I reviewed back in March (swatches + review here). The overall effect, pigment level and finish of the shadows between the two is almost identical with the Nordstrom exclusive version being more pink and rosy.

The Eye Reviver Backstage Pros Palette provides a selection of five soft neutrals that will give the eye a super soft polished look. The texture of the shadows is very soft and the colors meld onto the skin smoothly and evenly. Each of the 4 shadows layers well with each other and there is a dark gel liner at the end which has good pigment. I found the liner to be budge proof but it is creamy so it will take a little time to set and dry. I prefer topping any pencil or gel liner with a bit of power shadow to help it set.
If you’re looking for a super conservative eye look that you can do everyday these are the palettes for you. Either of the Eye Reviver Palettes are pretty much goof proof and impossible to overdo if you want a soft looking eyeshadow look.

The colors of the Dior Nordy Girl palette include:
Soft matte pale pink white
Shimmering pigmented light pink frost
Shimmering mauve plum
Shimmering pink mauve
Shimmering mauve
Matte plum-brown liner

For comparisons, I pulled both the 001 and Nordy Girl to swatch side by side.

Close ups:

I had mixed feelings about the original version (post + eye look here). These palettes are good staples but given the neutral nature of each, they are very easy to dupe and if you own a lot of eyeshadows or palettes it’s likely that you probably own similar colors. That being said, Dior does make very good quality palettes – the shadows are smooth with soft medium buildable pigment that makes for a polished look no matter what colors they have. These Eye Reviver Palettes have soft texture shadows that fall in between a full matte and full shimmer. The shimmer is finely milled but super natural on the eye so if you hate frost eyeshadow or complete mattes, the shadows in these palettes fall somewhere in between. If you prefer all mattes, the Urban Decay Naked Basics and Naked2 Basics are hands down my top picks.

Since they both seem very similar, I don’t think you need both. The pigment of the colors with Nordy Girl is better in the sense the colors are richer and more pigmented on the skin. The 2 lightest shades have really good pigment, however the next 3 medium shades are almost identical on my medium olive-toned skin. The pigment of the Original 001 is slightly sheerer but there is more contrast between the five shades which allows for more variation.

I own a lot of similar shadows so I can’t call them must-haves for me. I am pleased with the quality, lasting power and overall color scheme. If I were to recommend a good starter palette to someone new to makeup, I would recommend these as goof-proof easy to use eyeshadows.

If I had to pick one of the two, I favor the Original Version because it has more contrast in the colors. The Nordy Girl is more visible on my skin and has a more dramatic feel because cool tones look sharper on my olive skintone. If you’re deciding between the two, I would say base your decision on your preference for warm (opt for 001) or cool tones (pick Nordy Girl).

The Nordy Girl Eye Reviver Backstage Pros Illuminating Neutrals Eye Palette is a limited-edition product for the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale (retails for $62). I hope you found the review of both Eye Reviver Palettes helpful.

Did you check out the palette from Nordstrom? What did you think?

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Eye Makeup Urban Decay

Urban Decay Naked Smoky Palette

July 21, 2015

The latest addition to Urban Decay’s Naked line is the Naked Smoky Palette ($54 for 12 shadows 1.3g each + a dual ended brush). I think it’s a glorious palette and am completely over the moon with it. I had been counting the days to the release date as I’m a huge fan of all the Naked Eyeshadow Palettes (yes, all of them). When I saw previews I was worried this might be too cool-toned for my olive skin. I usually need a mix of some warm shadows otherwise colors look very grey on me. The Naked Smoky Palette has a really good mix of neutral and cool shades, all of which layer beautifully together.

Naked Smoky has 12 shades in a magnetic mirrored compact. Out of all the Naked 12 Pan Palettes, this release has the best packaging. It’s sleek with a super modern look and sturdy feel. The brush is also the best one I’ve tried out of the three palettes I own. One end has a small domed tip which is really quite incredible for applying the darker shades along the upper lashes. The other end is fluffy and picks up a good amount of product and blends nicely.

The shades range from high shimmers, one glitter, a few satiny shimmer shades, and four matte colors. All the Urban Decay colors I’ve tried (palettes and singles) are typically very soft and feel buttery smooth when you apply them. They’re almost like velvet and sometimes there is a bit of debris that can fall off the brush but once color is on the lid it stays put. The textures in this palette seem to be a bit harder than most other Urban Decay shadows I’ve tried making some of them colors a bit sheerer on their own, but pigment and quality is still very good.
  • High is a highly pigmented pretty champagne beige shimmer (it’s a bit darker and less pink than Sin)
  • Dirtysweet is a pigmented warm copper tan frost with shimmer flecks (it’s like Half Baked but a bit more muted)
  • Radar is semi-sheer warm bronze shimmer, texture is bit harder compared to the others making it a bit sheer but this one still has good pigment
  • Armor is the only glitter shade, it’s a glorious grey taupe shimmer with silver glitter flecks, there is fall out when you apply it (it will fall off the brush) but once it’s on the lids, it stays put
  • Slanted is a sheer silver with a blue undertone, it makes a lovely sheer wash or a good blending color to soften the darker colors, if you want a high impact silver you might find this lacking
  • Dagger is a satin grey black, there’s a tiny bit of shimmer, but it looks more matte on me, it also has a hard texture but I like this applied with a detail brush over eyeliner to intensify a smoky look

  • Black Market is a muted black satin, this one is also harder in texture making it a softer smoky black, I like to use it with the small end of the Smoky brush to create a blurred line across the upper lash line, it’s a black that is goof-proof if you apply in small strokes
  • Smolder is a medium pigmented deep purple shimmer, this one works best over a creamy primer or creamy eyeshadow as a base to help bring out the color
  • Password is a matte grey brown with a smooth texture, I like layering this on top of other shadows to create a soft smoky gradiant
  • Whiskey is a warm matte brown that an ultra smooth texture
  • Combust is a greyed mauve pink matte which is so pretty on the lids
  • Thirteen is a super pigmented pale matte pink

I pulled the other three Naked Palettes for comparisons of the colors and brushes:

Swatched on Chanel Beige 40 skin:

Brush comparisons:

Eye swatches below with High all over the lids, Dirty Sweet + Armor layered and a tiny bit of Black Market applied wet as a liner over Zero 24/7 Eyeliner

Based on feedback on other reviews I’ve done on the Urban Decay Naked
Palettes, I think your mileage may vary depending on your shimmer preferences.
Many of the shades in the palettes have a frost or metallic finish but I
find them very wearable for even conservative makeup lovers. That being
said if you can’t wear shadows with a lot of shimmer, I
recommend the Naked Basics, Naked2 Basics or Edward Bess Matte Artiste if you want a good palette of neutrals.

Out of the four 12-pan Naked Palettes, my favorites are still tied between Naked2 and Naked3. The new Naked Smoky is quite amazing and since I really like the others I find it a must-have even though I could probably create something similar by mixing and layering the others. That being said the colors are unique and I like that there are no repeat shades in this palette compared to the other ones. I almost always bring one of the Naked Palettes with me when I travel – I find them versatile and I think the neutral beige/tan shimmers are really pretty. Each palette has enough colors to take a look from day to night, for any occasion. The look I did above is super natural with the lighter shades, but you can layer the darker colors for a smoky look. I give this one a huge thumbs up – it’s the perfect naked version of a smoky palette.

You can find the Urban Decay Naked Smoky Palette at all Urban Decay retailers now. I ordered mine online from Urban Decay. You can also find it at Nordstrom, Sephora, Ulta and Macy’s.

Have you tried this yet? Do you have a favorite Naked Palette?

24 Comments
Diptyque

Diptyque South Coast Plaza + SEVI Towel Event, Saturday July 11

July 10, 2015

This Saturday July 11th from 1 to 4 pm, there will be a summer event at Diptyque South Coast Plaza.  They’ve teamed up with SEVI Towel to host a Trunk Show featuring showcase SEVI’s Turkish Beach Towels and fresh summer scents from the Diptyque Les Eaux Collection. There will be Sugarfina treats, Teavana teas served, along with wine and champagne. At the event you’ll be able to meet SEVI’s founder Jennifer Soliman (you can read her story on the Tory Burch Blog).

There will be a Diptyque gift with purchase available and a step up. With any $150 purchase you will receive:
A canvas Diptyque Tote
One mini candle
One sampler fragrance set
A Sugarfina $10 gift card

With a $200 purchase you will get both candles and fragrance sampler sets (while supplies last).

Below, a sneak peek of the SEVI Linen Turkish Towels and the gift in the middle. SEVI will be launching a brand new towel at the store as well. I haven’t seen it yet in person but she’s posted a sneak peek on her instagram @sevitowel.

I was lucky to get a first hand sneak peek of one the SEVI Linen Towels – it has a lightweight soft and fluid texture. I wish I had this for my Europe trip. It rolls up into a compact roll and makes the perfect coverup for the beach.

To recap:
Event Saturday July 11
1 to 4 pm
Drinks and treats will be served

Call the store (714) 850-9995 to RSVP 
I will be stopping by on Saturday, if you are attending – let me know! 
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Christian Louboutin

Christian Louboutin Beauté Scarabée

July 9, 2015

Christian Louboutin Beauté released a new limited-edition Scarabée Collection inspired by Louboutin’s love of Egypt. There are three colors ($50 each) that have a soft shimmery multi-dimensional chrome effect. I saw the preview of these while I was in Europe. On our last day in Paris one of the Louvre Carousel Shops had the three new colors on display. I didn’t purchase them there but ordered them online and they arrived at my home the same day I came back to the US. Below you can see the three new colors at the top of the display along with all the nudes, pops and noirs. (For reference all the nudes reviewed and swatched here.)

All three come cased in a pretty brown carton embossed with a gold
scarab motif on the outside. The handles are lacquered with a coat of
warm gold colored caps. Each color flashes different colors as you move
your hand and the lacquer reflects with the light. In the bottles they
look duo-chrome which can look sharp once you apply them on the nails.
On the hands the color softens because the shimmer is very fine and all
the colors blend together beautifully. All are metallics but brush
strokes aren’t visible and the application is very smooth. Colors are sheer with the first coat with a jelly finish. Two coats gives full coverage but three coats will make the color deeper and richer. I’ve swatched each color with two coats.

Scarabée I is described as a soft metallic flecked with shades of rose and gold
Scarabée II is described as a deep blue with flashes of purple, emerald and gold
Scarabée II is described as a bronze with highlights of green and blue

Louboutin shot a few fun collage images for each shade. I’ll include one for each color along with a close up and swatches. Scarabée I is a warm rose gold. It’s iridescent and flashes a tiny bit of gold and olive depending on how the light hits the nails. On the fingers it’s like a pink red sunset.

Scarabée II is a metallic teal blue. I thought it would be similar to Chanel Azure or Bel-Argus. It has a similar vibe but it’s more of a cross between the two with less visible brush strokes. I’m wearing this right now on the toes and it’s a fun color for summer. It has a teal base with flashes of purple and deep blue and some silver.

Scarabée III is a stunning warm bronze gold with hints of olive shimmer. I thought it would be a dupe for Chanel Peridot, but it’s actually noticeably different. (Comparison swatches below.) I have a hard time pulling off anything with green or yellow undertones on my nails because it makes my olive skin look sallow or yellow. Scarabée III is quite pretty.

Comparison swatches below:

Louboutin Scarabée I
Rescue Beauty Lounge Elvis in the Cloud (swatched here)
Rescue Beauty Lounge Bonne Journée (swatched here)
Louboutin Scarabée II
Chanel Azure and Bel-Argus (discontinued, reviewed here)
Louboutin Scarabée III
Chanel Peridot (discontinued)
Chanel Alchimie (reviewed here)

At $50 each, Louboutin Polishes are a luxurious splurge. They are extremely pricey but I am really happy and pleased with all three shades I purchased. I found each of the three colors unique with a really smooth easy to apply formula. The texture is the perfect density for thin coats that are easy to layer. The dry time is fairly quick and two to three coats gives the nails a lush glossy lacquered look. I can’t pick a favorite out of the three although the teal blue Scarabée II keeps catching my eye (I have it on my toes and keep staring at them). All three are limited-edition colors and I suspect they will sell out (a quick search shows some have already sold out on a few sites). You can find them at Louboutin Beaute retailers. Online while supplies last at Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman and Christian Louboutin.

Have you checked out the Scarabée Collection yet? What did you think? Did you splurge on any?

11 Comments
Tom Ford Beauty

Tom Ford Beauty Relaunches: Nude Dip, Sugar Dune, Black Sugar, Black Cherry and Show Me The Pink

May 28, 2015

This month Tom Ford Beauty has relaunched several previously limited-edition items. If you missed out on Nude Dip Eyeshadow Quad, the great news is that it is back and now permanent! This is one of my favorite shimmery neutral eyeshadow palettes. I am beyond thrilled that it has been re-introduced.

Here’s what has been brought back and added to the permanent Tom Ford Beauty lineup:

You can find Tom Ford Beauty at select counters. Online at Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdale’s and Bergdorf Goodman. If you missed out on any of these colors in the original rounds, I hope you can rest assured you can find them now!

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