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Marc Jacobs Beauty

Marc Jacobs Beauty Enamored Hi-Shine Lip Lacquers

May 19, 2015

 

For summer Marc Jacobs Beauty has launched a new lip gloss formula called the Enamored Hi-Shine Lip Lacquer ($28 each for 5 ml/0.16 fl oz). There are 18 shades of high-shine lip gloss that come in a wide range of colors from soft nudes, feminine pinks, plums, corals and bolder reds. The textures range from jelly, to cream, to shimmer – all with a smooth lush cushiony gloss feel. In terms of pigment, most of the colors offer sheer to medium coverage. Some you can wear alone while others are best used for high shine or to layer over lipstick. There is a subtle sweet minty scent to the glosses which have a cooling (but not tingling) feel on the lips. The Enamored Lip Lacquers are infused with apricot and passionfruit and feel ultra hydrating and smooth once applied. I’ve teamed up with Marc Jacobs Beauty to share all 18 colors with you today.

 

 

First a quick look at the packaging. The new Enamored Hi-Shine Lip Lacquers are similar in design and packaging compared to the original lip lacquers (sheer and full). The tube is now a rounded square rather than a flattened tube but still has the same flexible sponge-tip applicator.

 

 

A closer look at the sponge-tipped applicators:

 

 

on the nails two coats of Enamored Hi-Shine Nail Lacquer in Le Charm

 

Above: Daisy Nail Lacquer, Honeybun (P)Outliner, O!Mega Bronzer
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All the colors plus swatches and close ups below:

 

 

I’ve grouped the colors into three categories, first up are the Pinks and Roses:

 

 

  • Love Buzz is a metallic pink gold, the shimmer is very smooth and gives lips a lush full glossy glow, pigment and coverage on this one is medium, it will cover the entire lip but has a slight transparent quality to let the natural lip shine through
  • Pink Flamingo is a soft cool pink jelly, this one has no shimmer, finish on this one is sheer
  • Allow Me is most similar to the original gloss in Kissability, it’s a medium rose with tiny gold flecks mixed in, it has a very smooth non-gritty texture, coverage on this is sheer-to-medium
  • Love Drunk is a brown-rose with gold shimmer, it’s a few shades darker and more brown compared to Allow Me, coverage is medium
  • Rebel Rebel is a deeper but soft warm rosy color, it has multi-colored shimmers mixed in with a slight blueish sheen, coverage on this one is sheer-to-medium

 

 

 

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Next up are the Nudes:

 

 

  • Moon Glow is an ultra pale nude cream, if you have pigmented lips like me, it will contrast with your natural lip tone, one swipe may appear chalky, but if you layer this and blot, the color will smooth out, pigment is medium to full depending how you layer it
  • Pretty Thing is a sheer glossy warm peachy pink nude with a jelly finish, there is no shimmer in this one, on my pigmented lips it evens out the lip tone for a natural your lips but better sheen, coverage is sheer to medium
  • Sugar Sugar is a neutral beige with gold shimmer flecks, it feels more like a cream shade even though it has a bit of shimmer, coverage on this one is medium
  • Taboo is stunning metallic nude rose with champagne frost, on the lips the shimmer is very smooth, this is similar to Love Drunk in finish, it makes the lips look full and glossy, coverage is sheer to medium
  • French Tickler is a sheer iridescent pink beige with tiny silver and champagne sparkles, coverage on this one is ultra sheer, it will add a nice shine to the lips and for me works best layered over other lipsticks (or a liner)

 

 

 

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Last but not least, On-Trend Bolds:

 

 

  • Some Girls is a gorgeous shimmery warm watermelon pink, it has smooth shimmer (no frost) coverage on this one is medium
  • Forbidden Fruit is a sheer jelly orange, coverage on this one is sheer, but the brightness of the color gives the lips a soft wash of color
  • Whip It is a bright metallic fuchsia, coverage on this one is medium
  • Uproar is a peachy gold in the tube, on the lips it’s very sheer, almost transparent, it gives the lips a very subtle sheen of shimmer
  • Hot Hot Hot is a jelly pink red, it has a high shine and you can layer the color for more coverage, pigment is medium on this one
  • Hey You is similar to Hot Hot Hot but it’s more pink/warm-based (versus blue/pink), coverage and pigment is medium
  • Pink Steam is a metallic lilac pink, it’s purply in the tube and on the arms, on the lips there is a see through quality that lets your natural lip shine through and looks slightly more pinkish, it’s a very wearable lilac
  • Boom is a sheer jelly plum, coverage is sheer to medium on this one, the bright color of this gives the lips a tint of lush plum, you can layer for more pigment, but on me it’s still a jelly

 

 

 

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In addition to each individual lip lacquer, Marc Jacobs Beauty has a few #Enamored Lip and Nail Pairing Sets ($46 each) available exclusively online. The colors were personally selected by Marc Jacobs, each set include one nail polish, one lip lacquer and a black zip cosmetic pouch:
  • #EnamoredWith Desire has Lip Lacquer in Love Drunk + Nail Lacquer in Petra
  • #EnamoredWith Seduction includes Lip Lacquer in Moonglow + Nail Lacquer in Jezebel
  • #EnamoredWith Charm contains Lip Lacquer in Uproar + Nail Lacquer in Le Charm (colors shown below)

 

 

I’ve been playing with the glosses for a few weeks now and found lasting power to be pretty good given the shine and jelly finish. The Enamored Hi-Shine Lip Lacquers last for several hours without fading or budging if your lips go untouched. The gloss has decent lasting power and will stay put through one cup of coffee, but there will be transfer to the cup. The good news is even though these are sheer, the texture makes them pretty much budge-proof and the color doesn’t fade until several hours into wear. Overall I think there’s lots to love with this formula. If you like high shine glosses with sheer to medium coverage I think you’ll definitely find a color to suit your taste. My personal top three picks include Love Buzz, Pink Steam, Taboo and Some Girls. The shimmery/metallic ones seem to have the best coverage with slightly more pigment. Even though my favorites are on the metallic side, they go on the lips with a smooth lush shimmer that isn’t overly frosted. Long time Beauty Look Book readers know I am a neutral lip lover at heart, but I find the brighter ones very wearable. The glossy finish and semi-sheer color makes these more forgiving on the lips – the shades are perfect for that effortless glow and wash of color that I crave in warm weather months.

 

There are 18 shades available now online at Marc Jacobs Beauty. Each color retails for $28. Have you checked out the new Enamored Hi-Shine Lip Lacquers yet? If so, what did you think?

Many thanks to Marc Jacobs Beauty for sponsoring this post. The glosses were provided courtesy of Marc Jacobs for this feature. For more details refer to my disclosures.

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Boutique California Diptyque Travel

Diptyque Beverly Hills Candle

May 1, 2015

To celebrate the opening of the new boutique in Beverly Hills, Diptyque has created a special limited-edition candle inspired by the iconic city. The Diptyque Beverly Hills Candle retails for $70 and is exclusive to the Beverly Hills store in Los Angeles. comes packaged in a stunning bright turquoise glass jar with contrasting yellow palm prints. It’s a floral citrus that gives a fresh summer beachy vibe that I am completely head over heels in love with. The throw is quite good on this one and the scent fills up our living room within 10-15 minutes of burning. The notes in this one include: lemon essential oil, mint essential oil, orchid accord and freesia. The notes according to Diptyque:

Beverly Hills Candle next to a small full-twist photophore (boutique exclusive) and a small Baies

Diptyque Beverly Hills has a similar refreshing vibe to that of the Tomas Maier + Diptyque Palm Beach. The Tomas Maier candle is more citrusy while the Beverly Hills candle has more of a sweet more rounded tone to it. I’ve already burned through my first one in the course of two weeks (which is a record time for me, it takes me forever to burn through candles). Since it is limited-edition I stocked up on multiples when I ordered it and I’m glad I did because it’s all I want my home to smell like right now.

Tom Ford Skinny Dip, Marc by Marc Jacobs Sunnies, Harper’s Baazar, Moleskin Notebook

The Diptyque Beverly Hills candle is a limited-edition scent, exclusive to the Beverly Hills Boutique on North Beverly Boulevard. You can call the store at (310) 385-5941 to purchase over the phone or buy in store too. I highly recommend this one. The scent is refreshingly bright and summery and the turquoise and yellow packaging design makes for a fun colorful accent to your desk or shelf.

P.S. In case you are new to luxury candles, make sure to visit my Candle Care Tips post on how to burn them properly.

Have you checked out the Beverly Hills Diptyque candle or the store? 

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Lips Tom Ford Beauty

Tom Ford Beauty Lip Color Sheers Skinnydip and Rose Soleil for Summer 2015

April 30, 2015

There are four featured Lip Color Sheers ($50 each for .1 oz/3g) for the Tom Ford Summer Beauty Collection. The two new shades are Skinnydip and Rose Soleil which come alongside Sweet Spot and Paradisio which are repromoted colors from 2014 (previously swatched here). I picked up the two new shades last weekend from Neiman Marcus Northpark in Dallas with Beauty Professor (we took a quick break from the rewardStyle conference to do some beauty shopping). Both of the new colors are to-die-for gorgeous. In my testing experience with Tom Ford Beauty, I find his lipsticks to be the best beauty product in his line and the new Lip Color Sheers are perfect for summer.

Both colors are shimmers, but they are not frosty. If you’re familiar with the Lip Color Sheer formula from last year, you know some of the colors are sheer and glossy while the brights are glossy but rich. The new shades for Summer 2015 have the perfect mix of pigment and gloss with medium coverage. Skinnydip is a light nude rose peach with some gold shimmer. Rose Soleil is complex deeper rose pink with gold flecks mixed in. Swatched on the arms or the back of the hand they may appear sheer, but on the lips they meld with your natural lip tone to give the prettiest wash of color. On my lips they are visible and show up.

There is a soft vanilla scent to these. Lasting power is medium, they will stay put better than most sheer or glossy lip colors (as in they won’t disappear or slide off within an hour). The sheer finish makes any fading more forgiving so you don’t end up with contrasted color around the edges. I find it won’t last through a meal or snacks, but I find that to be the case with most lipsticks or glosses (unless they are ultra long-wear or stains).   

Some more close ups and swatches:

Skinnydip on my lips along with comparisons swatches shown below. I pulled out last year’s Lip Color Sheers in Pink Dune and In the Buff along with the Lips and Boys in William. There is a similar vibe but to me, Skinnydip has more peach and gold compared to last year’s lip color sheers. Compared to William Lips & Boys, Skinnydip has less frost and is slightly more nude.

Indoor natural light:

In direct sun:

Comparison swatches:

Dior Rouge Dior Baume in Milly (reviewed here)
YSL Rouge Volupte Shine 22 Nude Indeed
Tom Ford 2014 Lip Color Sheers In the Buff/Pink Dune (reviewed here)
Tom Ford Lips and Boys in Peter and William (swatched here)

Rose Soleil seems more unique compared to the other lip colors I own. It has a deep rose pink base but has a brightness to it that prevents it from looking dark. The gold flecks add dimension to it. The complexity makes this one look different in the tube depending on the angle or lighting. Sometimes I see more plum and berry, other times I see a darker base with gold flecks. Swatches below.

Comparison swatches below show that Rose Soleil has a unique mix of plum, pink, berry and gold. I find it most similar to MAC Viva Glam VI lipstick but the Tom Ford has more gold, more berry and more shimmer.

YSL Rouge Volupte Shine in #11 and 7 (swatched here)
Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Bel-Ami (arm swatched here)
Guerlain KissKiss Shaping Cream Lipstick in Fabulous Rose (lip swatched here)
MAC Lipstick in Viva Glam VI

Quick re-swatch of Sweet Spot and Paradisio for reference:

One last shot of the Summer 2015 Lip Color Sheers in Skinnydip and Rose Soleil:

I’ve been told at the counters that both shades are limited-edition but I haven’t confirmed it yet. Update: I just received confirmation from Tom Ford Beauty that the lip color sheers are permanent this round!! In my opinion both are quite beautiful, soft and fresh. They give the lips a healthy glow with just the right amount of color to show up but still look natural. For me I find both colors to be must-haves and I’ve purchased back ups.
Have you checked out the Tom Ford Soleil Collection for summer yet? In case you missed it:
Cream and Powder Eye Color Duos swatched/reviewed here
Cream and Powder Eye Color Duo comparison swatches here
Cream Cheek Color in Pink Sand swatched/reviewed here

You can find the Lip Color Sheers at Tom Ford counters and stores now. Available online at Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue and Tom Ford.
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Eye Makeup Tom Ford Beauty

Tom Ford Summer 2015 Cream & Powder Eye Color Swatch Comparisons

April 28, 2015

As promised I pulled some other cream shadows to compare to the Tom Ford Beauty Summer shadow duos. Many thanks to my savvy readers who already knew some of the creams were duplicates (or repeats) of prior limited-edition shades. There are a couple colors that keep selling out online but are available for back order. If you want all shades, you may have to shop around. My local counter had all of their Naked Bronze and Golden Peach reserved via pre-sales. I’ve compiled a list to help save you time from clicking around (note this is subject to change as items sell out):

Above shown Top Row, left to right:
Bottom Row, left to right:
Swatches:
My conclusion is that the new summer duos do indeed include repeats of previously released cream shadows from Tom Ford. If you already own Spice, Pink Haze and the Golden Mink Quad (I don’t own this but I swatched in store to compare), you can skip Golden Peach and Naked Bronze if you want to avoid dupes. The Spring 2015 Cream Shadow is really close to Midnight Sea but not an exact dupe when you look at it in person. The summer duo is slightly lighter in color while the spring shade is a bit deeper. I really like the concept of the new summer Cream & Powder pots because of the packaging and having two shades in one compact for convenience (plus the mirror to apply if you’re on the go or need to touch up before going out).

Hope this helps! Did you buy or test out any of the Tom Ford summer duos yet? If yes, which ones and what are your thoughts so far?

The Tom Ford Summer Duos were provided as press samples for review consideration. All other items purchased by me.

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Bronzer + Blush Highlighters Tom Ford Beauty

Tom Ford Beauty Cream Cheek Color Pink Sand for Summer 2015

April 27, 2015

Tom Ford Beauty has released a Cream Cheek Color for summer called Pink Sand ($65 for 0.17 0z/5 g, made in Canada). It’s a luminous soft pink gold blush that gives my medium/olive skin a soft glow that comes cased in a small white and gold mirrored compact. There is enough color that you can see the pink color but on my complexion I find it performs more like a highlighter shade rather than a traditional blush. The effect is similar to the glow NARS Orgasm gives minus the frost and minus the peachy tone. Pink Sand is multi-dimensional so depending on how the light hits it sometimes you will see more of the pink base, other times you will see more of the gold shimmer. I love how it gives a natural glow to the skin.

It has a soft creamy feel with a dewy glow finish. On the cheeks it stays dewy but as the day progresses remains dewy but not greasy. I’ve been experimenting with this for two weeks now and like this either alone for low-key makeup days, as a base for powder blush or bronzer to give cheeks dimension and help color adhere to the face, or topped on top of cheek bones over blush/bronzer for a highlight. It’s really versatile. I’ve also tried this on the lips. It looks pretty topped with a clear gloss or dabbed in the center to add a bit of shimmer. As far as I can tell there is no detectable scent or taste.

A few more close ups and swatches:

Swatched with a heavy hand, once blended it sheers out:

A few comparison swatches to other cream and liquid highlighter/blushes. Most of these were either limited-edition or were discontinued (previous features and reviews will linked below):

Tom Ford Cream Cheek Color in Pink Sand

Pink Sand offers a radiant no-fuss easy to use glow to my medium skin (I use Tom Ford Traceless Perfecting Foundation in Bisque 4, swatches to other foundations in rotation here). On lighter skin tones the pink will show up more and probably make this look more like a pink blush. If you’re medium to dark this will probably perform more like a highlighter on your skin tone. Lasting power on my normal combination skin was very good, from morning to afternoon without fading. If you have super oily skin you may find the dewy factor increase into the afternoon. Being a huge fan of Tom Ford Beauty I really love this one. It’s quite a splurge at $65 so if you’re unable to test in person I hope you find the swatches and comparisons in this post helpful.

The Tom Ford Soleil Collection for summer is starting to trickle in stores and online. You can find Pink Sand now online at Nordstrom and Saks. Available for pre-order at Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman and Tom Ford (while supplies last as it is a limited-edition item).

The Tom Ford Pink Sand was provided courtesy of the PR team for review consideration.

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Eye Makeup Tom Ford Beauty

Tom Ford Beauty Cream and Powder Eye Colors Summer 2015

April 25, 2015

Summer collections are starting to surface and the color offerings this year seem like the perfect mix of natural + fresh color. I was thrilled to get an early sneak peek at some of Tom Ford’s summer collection. First up I have the Cream and Powder Eye Colors ($60 each for 0.24 oz. base/ 0.07 oz for top).

The Cream and Powder Eye Colors come packaged in a double-tiered pot shadow with a flip top lid that has a small mirror. You simply twist the bottom to get to the cream, while the powder glitter is on top. Being a glitter-phobe, I was really worried how these would perform but I’ve had really good experiences with some of the quads like Seductive Rose and the limited-edition Ombre Eye Color Trios from a couple years ago so I had high hopes for these new summer duos.

Each color is really quite stunning and perfect to wear alone. The cream shadows are creamy and emollient but don’t slide, budge or fade after application. I’ve been playing around with each duo, I like to apply the cream shade first on the lids, blended into a soft gradient. Then I take my finger and dip it into the glitter powder and dab onto the lids on top of the cream shadow. For a glitter product I was really impressed to find there was no fallout and that they lasted a long time (from morning until afternoon). If you use a brush for the powder there might be a tiny bit of debris that will fall onto the cheeks or under the eyes, I was able to get no fall out a couple times, but then some others there was a tiny bit. For this reason I prefer using the fingers to pat them on.

There are four colors which are some of the prettiest duos I’ve seen. The glittery powders are semi-sheer in terms of color but there is still a lot of pigment. When layered over the cream shadows they enhance the color of the creams and add dimension.
  • Naked Bronze has a deep warm bronzey cream and a sheer gold shimmer/glitter for the powder
  • Golden Peach has a warm pinky peachy metallic with a sheer warm peachy glitter powder
  • Black Oyster has a deep complex charcoal cream shimmer with a silvery grey glitter powder
  • Midnight Sea has a complex khaki/bronze/brown shimmer cream with an aqua teal glitter/powder

The cream in Naked Bronze reminds me of Spice, the peach in Golden Peach reminds me of Pink Haze and the cream in Midnight Sea reminds me of Spring 2015 Cream. I’m currently traveling so I don’t have my makeup stash with me to compare the creams, but once I return home I will update this post with comparison swatches of the creams.

Close ups of each color plus swatches of the shades individually, then layered:

I’ve played with each of the colors and am so impressed. Midnight Sea had me a little worried since I rarely wear blues or aquas but layering the teal on top of the deep brown shimmer creates a really interesting look. My favorites of course are Naked Bronze and Golden Peach – they add enough color to the lids to give your complexion a summery glow but aren’t over the top. As a neutral and conservative makeup lover, to say that I am afraid of glitter would be an understatement (I am almost anti-glitter). So for me to say that I really like these is huge. I think they are wearable for everyday although if you work in a conservative office environment you may want to go very light on the application of the powder shadows because the glittery is glitzy but not over the top (at least in my opinion).

Both Golden Peach and Black Oyster have held up really well in the Dallas humidity this week and I’m very impressed. If you’re a Tom Ford fan these are definitely must-haves even with the high price point. If you like color and want something new and different, these are worth looking into. 

You can find the Cream and Powder Eye Colors for $60 each. Online at Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom (pre-order), Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue (pre-order) and Tom Ford (pre-order).

The Cream and Powder shadows were provided courtesy of Tom Ford for review consideration. Book featured from my own personal collection and was purchased by me. 

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Diptyque Fragrance

Diptyque Florabellio Eau de Toilette

April 21, 2015

Florabellio Eau de Toilette is the latest perfume launch from Diptyque this spring. I’ve was able to get a sneak preview of this a month ago at the boutique and smelled a sample they had on site. I fell in love immediately with this fresh lightweight mix of sweet and floral. It has the scent of apple blossoms mixed with apricot and fennel. The description also says this has sea salt, coffee and toasted sesame – all of which are mixed in a way that is subtle and barely detectable to my nose but it does seem to prevent this scent from being overly floral or sweet. It adds a complex undertone giving it a very slight musky feel which I really like because I can rarely tolerate anything overly fruity or sweet on my skin. The Eau de Toilette comes in two sizes, 1.7 oz for $90 and 2.4 oz for $125. I have the smaller one featured in this post. The official Florabellio description from Diptyque:

Although I’m a huge fan of Diptyque, this is my first full-sized Eau de Toilette from the line. I have a few of the Solid Perfumes (Eau Duelle, Essences Insensées and L’Ombre Dans L’Eau) and Roll-Ons (Geranium and Lavender) which I really like. The perfume bottles are quite stunning but I’ve accumulated quite a few deluxe-sized samples from various gift with purchase promos which have lasted me a very long time. The bottles are quite stunning with a rounded sturdy glass jar and black cap spritzer. They look quite stunning on the counter top or dresser. Just looking at it makes me happy.

The smaller size for me is ideal even though larger bottles are often the better buy. It takes me forever to use up perfumes and I like the look of smaller bottles because they take up less counter space.

Bottom line a winner, especially for spring to summer. It has a lightweight airy quality with the perfect mix of fruit and floral to brighten the mood. In addition it also has an aquatic feel with the sea salt and fennel. It’s something I find unexpected from Diptyque because of the lightness but I really like it. Lasting power is medium on my skin. It’s not as strong as Frederic Malle or L’Artisan on my skin, but I would say it lasts about the same on me as Jo Malone or Tom Ford. It stays on for a few hours and fades nicely as the day progresses. I can still smell it on me by late afternoon but I have a very sensitive nose. I love that it’s a sweet floral without being too floral or too sweet. It’s difficult to describe but very lovely.

You can find Diptyque Florabellio now in stores at Diptyque retailers and online at Nordstrom, Bergdorf Goodman, Space NK, Barneys New York, Saks Fifth Avenue and Diptyqueparis.com. Available in two sizes 1.7 oz for $90 and 2.4 oz for $125.



Here is the current list of Diptyque boutiques in the US:
Atlanta, Buckhead Atlanta, 3035 Peachtree Road NE 
Beverly Hills, 312 North Beverly Drive 
Chicago, 1645 North Damen Avenue 
Costa Mesa, South Coast Plaza, 3333 Bristol Street 
Los Angeles, 202 North Larchmont Boulevard 
New York, 377 Bleecker Street 
New York, Time Warner Center, 10 Columbus Circle 
New York, 971 Madison Avenue 
New York, Nolita, 242 Mott Street 
San Francisco, 171 Maiden Lane 
Westport, 47 Main Street 

P.S. The Space NK Discover promotion happening now which allows you to save $20 off any $75+ order online, it’s going on through April 26th. Details and code here (US Only).

Have you tried Diptyque Florabellio yet? What did you think? Do you have a current spring-time favorite fragrance right now?

Diptyque Florabellio in this post was a press sample sent for review consideration.

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