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Bronzer + Blush Charlotte Tilbury

Charlotte Tilbury Beach Sticks

March 5, 2015

Charlotte Tilbury’s Beach Sticks finally launched in the US ($45 each for 6.5 g / 0.23 oz, made in Italy). I ordered mine sight unseen online and have been experimenting with these. The Charlotte Tilbury Beach Sticks are twist up cream blushes and highlighters. They come in summery colors with different degrees of shimmer. The texture of these sticks is quite creamy making them easy to blend and layer. Straight from the tube they swipe and swatch with medium pigment. Once you blend with a finger the color sheers out quite a bit. You don’t have to pack layers on to get the color to show up, but in my experience I did need 2-3 swipe + blend layers to get them to show up on my medium olive skin. The brighter colors like Las Salinas and Ibiza are more visible on the skin while Formentera and Moon Beach are lighter and less visible. These sticks have a soft dewy finish that give the skin a youthful glow. They don’t get greasy or oily as quickly as NARS Multiples do on me, but by late afternoon, alone they do fade. There is a slight vanilla scent with the beach sticks but it is very faint.

The colors I picked out: 

  • Formentera is a nude pink with a slight sheen, this adds a lovely nude blush look to the face, pigment is sheer to medium
  • Ibiza is a tan bronze with golden shimmer, this is nice as a bronzer, pigment is medium
  • Moon Beach is a sheer shimmery golden peach, this makes a nice highlighter and adds a sheen to the skin, pigment is sheer to medium
  • Las Salinas is a bright sheer hot pink with golden shimmer, pigment on this is sheer to medium

Detail photos and swatches:

Swatched straight from the tube:

1 swipe sheered out – don’t let these swatches deter you, they adhere to the face much better than they do on the arms, if you have 2-3 swipes on the face, they show up a lot better:

A few comparison swatches for color reference:

NARS Multiple in Puerto Vallarta
NARS Matte Multiple in Vientiane
NARS Multiple in G-Spot
NARS Multiple in Malibu

After putting these Beach Sticks to the test I find myself having mixed feelings. The colors are stunning and the texture adds a really lovely glow to the skin without making it look or feel greasy. Moon Beach works extremely well layered over powder blush on the high point of the cheek bone to give a dewy glow. Ibiza has enough warmth and color to be a good natural contour for me (traditional contouring creams are too sharp and grey-looking). Las Salinas would be better if the color were more visible, I think sheer bright pinks can be done beautifully to add a healthy glow. On my medium skin it sheers out after blending so I need to add 2 more swipes for the color I want. Don’t get me wrong it is workable, on me it just takes a bit more work and I personally prefer a stronger blush when it comes to color. Formentera is nude on me and although it does show up it is very very natural.

They also work amazingly well as a base for powder blush to help bring out pigment without darkening the powder or altering the color. In addition they layer well over powder and foundation without looking cake or heavy. If you’ve watched some videos online seeing how these are applied, the best way to use these is to swipe them directly on your face and then blend.

If you like a natural blush or want a dewy glow that isn’t greasy these are amazing. If you want more color, you may find these a bit too sheer. They do show up if you swipe a few times and the upside is that these are good for touchups and since they are natural they are impossible to overdo. I’m happy I did purchase these although they are fairly expensive at $45 each. The only shade I think I would have skipped if I had seen these in person is Formentera. Have you tried these yet? What did you think?

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Hourglass Cosmetics

Hourglass Equilibrium Biomimetic Skin Active Serum

February 27, 2015

Hourglass Cosmetics launched their first skincare products in January of this year with two items in a line they call Equilibrium. There are two items both are available in limited quantites at the Hourglass Store on Abbot Kinney, Bergdorf Goodman (New York, in store) and Liberty (London, in store).

Equilibrium Day Fluid Broad Spectrum SPF 30 ($115 for 1.7 fl oz/50 ml) is a daytime treatment that is designed to give radiant, supple and healthy-looking skin created from within. From Hourglass:

  • This is designed to complement the evening treatment, and shield skin from the sun with SPF 30. It contains a plant-derived phosphatidylglycerol, which improves skin’s texture and tone. The light, luxurious fluid also contains a blend of four organic chemical compounds providing broad spectrum SPF 30 to shield the skin from the sun’s harmful rays.

Equilibrium Biomimetic Skin Active Serum ($350 for 1.7 fl oz/50 ml) is a rebalancing product intended for night time use only. Description per Hourglass:

  • This revolutionary nighttime re-balancing treatment contains a powerful family of ingredients designed to counteract the visible signs of aging – resulting in radiant, healthy-looking skin created from within. The serum is created using an ultrasonication process, producing microscopic oil droplets which deliver the ingredients into the skin at the most optimal level.

Equilibrium at the Abbot Kinney store opening last September, more on the beautiful store here

Hourglass kindly sent me a sample of the Equilibrium Biomimetic Skin Active Serum for review back at the beginning of the year and I’ve been putting it to the test for 50+ nights. This is a resurfacing and rebalancing night time treatment that comes in a black pump bottle. The bottle is made of Miron violet glass to protect the contents from harmful light. The product description recommends use of the product for 40-56 days (after a full cellular turnover cycle) to see full results. I wanted to give this a thorough test drive in order to provide as detailed a review as possible on using this.

In testing the Equilibrium Biomimetic Skin Active Serum I saw results in two weeks. If you’ve followed my skincare posts, you know that ver the past year and a half I’ve had fluctuations with skin issues. I’ve discovered a number of products that have helped to rebalance the skin and bring it back to it’s normal state. Testing skincare is usually touch and go – you have to really test things over a long period of time to see if they end up working as you hoped. The biggest issue I’ve had with my skin included texture issues all over the face, breakouts on the chin area and scarring. The items I’ve tried and tested from Ole Henriksen, Tatcha, SK-II and regular go-to’s have helped with the texture and breakouts.

The Hourglass Equilibrium Serum has helped keep my skin clear and removed my chin breakouts and has worked remarkably well in fading scars. This is a fluid type of product that is very gentle on the skin and has a moisturizing feel without any detectable scent. It absorbs nicely into the skin so it doesn’t feel like there is product that is just sitting on your face that will slide off once your head hits the pillow. It feels very soothing on the skin which is a huge plus for my sensitive face. The results have been incredibly good. My skin has noticeably (and dramatically) improved in texture and clarity. 

There are three other night time treatments that I’ve used over the past couple of years that I will offer a comparison to.

1) Chanel La Nuit de Chanel is part of the Resynchronizing line. I bought this and used it up entirely. I found consistent use helped keep my skin clear but wasn’t strong enough to help with serious scars or texture issues. I used it up and really liked it, I will probably go back to this once my skin returns to it’s normal state. If you have normal sensitive skin that needs basic and simple hydration at night, I highly recommend this.

2) The SK-II Skin Refining Treatment is something I used and love. It improved my skin’s texture significantly after several months of use. This one is gentle on the face and after using this I noticed better skin texture, clearer complexion and a glow. The Hourglass by comparison exceeds the SK-II in terms of giving you results faster more dramatic improvement in skin. Both are good and over time they will give you a similar result (better complexion and texture), the SK-II will take a bit longer to give you the same results.

3) I’ve also written about and used the Ole Henriksen Invigorating Night Treatment (reviewed here). This one also improved my skin’s texture and reduced breakouts on the chin area. This one isn’t the best for those with sensitive noses because it is fragranced. If you have super delicate skin you find this one tingles too much. I found the scent to be ok, but many have commented they found it too strong.

So out of the four night-time treatments I’ve tested, my top two picks include the Hourglass and SK-II. I didn’t want to fall in love with the Hourglass one due to the hefty price tag but it truly delivers results and performs exceptionally well. My husband has commented on how much my skin has improved after I used this and asked “what are you doing differently?” It’s gentle enough for nightly use – in testing this, I would recommend using this almost every night to get the best results (skipping this for 3+ nights resulted in breakouts coming back after testing some other products). I give this a super huge thumbs up.

The Equilibrium line is available at select locations: Hourglass Store on Abbot Kinney, Bergdorf Goodman (New York, in store), Liberty (London, in store). More online at Hourglass Cosmetics. Have you tried any of the Hourglass Equilibrium products? If not, what do you currently use at night?  
The Equilibrium serum was provided courtesy of Hourglass for review consideration.
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Marc Jacobs Beauty

Marc Jacobs Beauty New Nudes Sheer Lip Gel

February 25, 2015

 

Marc Jacobs released seven shades of a new lipstick formula called the New Nudes Sheer Lip Gel ($30 each for 3.6 g/0.12 oz). These have replaced the original Lip Gels but some of the colors have been re-promoted. Being a huge fan of the original lipstick my heart broke a little when I discovered it was being discontinued because it was so so good. I have two of the original colors to compare with the new ones in Role Play and Have We Met?. The colors are identical but the new formula is slightly sheerer in texture and color payoff. That being said, the New Nudes Sheer Lip Gels aren’t really all that sheer. I would say compared to the Le Marc Lip Cremes these new Lip Gels are sheer, but in terms of how they rank compared to all the lipsticks on the market I would say they are sheer to medium in coverage.

 

The Sheer Lip Gels come in a twist up beige tube with a magnetic cap. The size and design is identical to the original ones that came in the black tubes. There is a very soft vanilla scent to the lipsticks but it’s not overpowering. The texture is creamy and glides onto the lips and feels very moisturizing. Based on my testing I will say these are a no if you have super dry lips. Having a smooth lip surface is essential for these lipsticks, so I’d recommend adding a primer or lip balm first before applying. The texture and pigment ranges from slightly shimmery to full on creams and the pigment combined with the lightness of the colors can emphasize lip lines. Adding a lipliner by lining and filling or mixing a liner with these lipsticks solves any patchiness that might result by the contrast. Do note that I have pigmented lips so wearing nudes is a challenge for me, there tends to be a sharp contrast between my natural lip color and the lipsticks.

 

 

Above L to R: Sheer Lip Gels in Strange Magic, Moody Margot, Have We Met?, Role Play, Understudy, Anais, Eat Cake, (P)outliners in Prim(rose), Honey(bun), Nude(ist)

 

 

The colors are gorgeous but ease of wear varies depending on the color. This is the case with most nudes across all brands (for example Tom Ford Blush Nude takes a lot of tweaking for me to wear without looking like a ghost, on some of my other friends, it is an easy swipe and go color).

 

 

 

 

Strange Magic is a super pale pink. On the lips it resembles concealer and if you have any pigment in the lips this will look streaky and patchy if you wear it alone. It’s a layering or mixing color that can add a sheen to liners or darker lipsticks. Below it’s shown alone on the lips and then transformed into the perfect nude with the (P)Outliner in Nude(ist) added:

 

 

 

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Moody Margot is a pale beige that has enough color to not wash out the face. It’s still on the pale side so if you have pigmented lips this one will perform best over a neutral liner.

 

 

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Have We Met? is a bright hot warm pink that is ultra sheer so on the lips it’s more of a healthy subtle pink tint. The new formula is identical in color to the original formula, but the pigment is sheerer making this one look lighter on my lips.

 

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Role Play is a medium neutral rose pink. The new formula performs the same as the original in terms of color, pigment and level of sheen. If there’s one I had to pick as my favorite this would be it.

 

 

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Understudy is a warm peachy nude with a hint of coral. It’s a full opaque cream that has medium to full coverage. It has a smooth finish but looks a tiny bit streaky in the swatch photo because I was in a bit of a rush to get all 7 lipsticks lip swatches.

 

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Anais is a sheer nude beige tan cream. This one has a bit more color than Moody Margot making it easier to wear. If you have pigmented lips this will contrast with your natural lip color so adding a liner will help smooth out the color.

 

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Eat Cake is the darkest of the New Nudes and is a rosy terra-cotta peachy rose. It pulls very warm on me which and has just enough brightness to add life to the face. This is a medium to full coverage pigmented cream.

 

 

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Here are some swatch comparisons of the original vs new formula of shades I have:

 

 

I am still trying to get over the fact that the original lip gels were discontinued, but the new ones proved to be just as good in terms of formula, wear and finish. Lasting power isn’t quite as long as the Le Marc Lip Cremes but lasts like the average medium-wear lipstick. Adding any of the (P)Outliner Long Wear Lipliners helps to extend the wear by a long shot. My favorite colors are the darker ones, mainly because I am nude-lip challenged due to the pigment in my natural lip tone. Fav picks include Role Play, Anais, Eat Cake and Understudy. The only shade I would say skip on is Strange Magic because it’s so pale and chalky by itself making it a super high maintenance nude.

 

The New Nudes Sheer Lip Gels retail for $30 each. Available now at Marc Jacobs Beauty and Sephora. Have you tried or bought any of these yet? Which colors did you try?

 

The Marc Jacobs Sheer Lip Gels were provided courtesy of MJ for review consideration.

 

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Marc Jacobs Beauty

Marc Jacobs (P)outliner Longwear Lip Pencil

February 24, 2015

Marc Jacobs Beauty has released three new lip pencils called the (P)Outliner ($24 each for 05g/0.01 oz). These are long-wear twist up creamy pencils with rich pigment. All three are cream shades without any shimmer and are the perfect modern nudes. In terms of wear they glide on well although they aren’t super emollient (like some glossy pencils) so you may need to warm up the tip a bit by swiping on the back of your hand. Once you apply on the lips they go on very smoothly and with full coverage. Lasting power is very very good. I swatched all on my lips for reference (more below) and had to use a dual-phase eye makeup remover (my current fav is Chanel) to get the product off my lips. There is no detectable scent with these.

The three (P)Outliner shades include Prim(rose) which is a nude-brown rose, Nude(ist) which is a brownish flesh nude and Honey(bun) which is a peachy pinky nude. I’m completely in love with the names.

Here are swatches with the liners lined around the lips and filled in for reference. These are extremely pigmented lip pencils and due to the richness I recommend you apply some kind of lip primer or balm underneath if you want to use them all over the lip. The intensity can emphasize lip lines if you use it all over. I recommend using these as a traditional lip liner around the edges and blended slightly. Note these are all swatched on a bare lip.

Some comparison swatches for reference:

The labeling on the packaging really sums it up. These stay put on the lips for all-day wear and will go well with a wide range of lip colors.

Overall huge thumbs up. The three shades are all on the warm side but still lean neutral on my olive skintone. If you are one who can only wear strictly cool-toned colors these may be too warm for you. The formula is super creamy and the lasting power and pigment are phenomenal. These days I have neglected most of my lipliners (with the exception of Chanel and Charlotte Tilbury) because I am usually a swipe and go kind of lip person. These lipliners are really fun and go really well with the New Nudes Lip Gels though and helps to extend the wear. If you’re near a Marc Jacobs boutique or Sephora I highly recommend you give these a closer look. I hope Marc Jacobs will expand the color selection. The formula is really really good.

The Marc Jacobs (P)Outliner is available in stores and online at Marc Jacobs Beauty and Sephora.

The Marc Jacobs liners were provided courtesy of Marc Jacobs for review consideration.

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Marc Jacobs Beauty

Sneak Peek: Marc Jacobs Beauty Spring 2015 New Nudes, (P)Outliner and #Instamarc

February 24, 2015

Here’s a quick sneak peek at some new items from Marc Jacobs Beauty to which I have two words: nude perfection. In addition to the 20 shades of the Le Marc Lip Cremes released earlier this month, Marc Jacobs also has released a collection of items for lips and cheeks with a nude theme. The new spring items this season:

(P)Outliner Longwear Lip Pencil ($24 each)

  • Nude(ist) 300 – cafe au lait
  • Prim(rose) 304 – cocoa spice
  • Honey(bun) 302 – rosy nude

#Instamarc Light Filtering Contour Powder ($49 each)

  • Dream Filter 20 – soft pink/ medium bronze
  • Mirage Filter 40 – light gold/ light bronze
  • Hi Fi Filter 60 – warm peach/ deep bronze

New Nudes Sheer Lip Gel ($30 each)

  • Strange Magic 102 – warm nude pink
  • Have We Met? 108 – shimmering warm pink
  • Understudy 114 – terracotta pink
  • Eat Cake 150 – rosy nude
  • Role Play 110 – dusty rose
  • Anais 146 – spiced ginger
  • Moody Margot 106 – brownish nude

The Shape Contour and Blush Brush No. 15 ($38)

I will say right now that when they call the lip liners “longwearing” it’s no joke. They last a ridiculously long time and are ultra creamy with super rich pigment. Some of the New Nudes Sheer Lip Gels appear to be repromotes/repackaged shades of the original Lip Gels. I’ll do a swatch comparison of the original vs new of the shades I have to see how close (or how different) they are. Also shown above is the Style Eye-Con 3 in The Ingenue 102 which isn’t new but fit the nude theme so I’ve featured it above.

All available now online and in stores at Marc Jacobs Beauty and Sephora. 
Items above sent courtesy of Marc Jacobs for review consideration.
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Eye Makeup Tom Ford Beauty

Tom Ford Cream Color for Eyes Spring 2015

February 22, 2015

For spring Tom Ford has released a new Cream Color for Eyes called Spring 2015 ($42 for .21 oz/6 g, limited-edition). This is a smokey grey color with a hint of gold shimmer in it that gives it a bit of warmth and makes it look like it has some khaki tones. It’s a very creamy shadow that is emollient when you first apply it. The color is shimmery with a luminous quality, not frosted. For me this one proved to be a high-maintenance kind of color to create a smokey eye. It takes patience and layering to get this one right but the color is quite amazing.

The pigment is quite intense with this color so a little bit goes a long way. The emollient texture makes it very easy to blend and sheer out, but if you let it set without touching for a minute or two it will set and not budge (unless you rub your eyes). I played with this a couple different ways.

1) As a traditional cream shadow I found it worked best when layered. It doesn’t need a base but to create a natural gradient for a smokey eye I found this worked when I applied a neutral nude shimmer first like NARS Dual Intensity Eyeshadow in Himalia all over the lids. A neutral shimmer creates a base that gives the darker cream something to blend into to remove any signs of harsh lines. As a shadow, I needed two to three layers of this along with the nude shimmer. The good thing is the color is blendable and quite intense so this is a shadow you can use alone without any liner needed. Just let the color sit for 1 minute in between layers, apply the first layer as a sheer wash, then progressively intensify the pigment by applying more and blending upwards. You can use fingers or a brush like MAC 239 or I also like Chanel Brush #10 (it’s a concealer brush, but I prefer it for cream shadows).

2) This is also good if used as a smokey liner along the upper or lower lash line. The trick to keeping the pigment rich is to apply with a small smokey eye brush (I like MAC 219) along the upper lash line in a slightly messy smudged line. Let it sit for 30 seconds before you blend. Then repeat until you get the desired intensity.

Swatches heavy and blended:

The Spring 2015 Cream shadow alone on eyes layered over NARS Himalia:

Another swatch shot with different lighting shows how it looks khaki/brownish:

A few swatch comparisons below:

Tom Ford Cream Color for Eyes in Platinum (discontinued)
Armani Eyes to Kill #25 (discontinued)

The Tom Ford Cream Color for Eyes Spring 2015 is a stunning unique smokey cream shadow. The complex mix of gold, brown, bronze, khaki and black make this a warmer smokey shadow which is easier to wear compared to the traditional black or grey toned shadows on the market. There is a beautiful luminous quality to the colors that gives this dimension and depth making this a color you can use alone without any other colors needed. I found this to be well worth the splurge although it did take patience and a bit of extra work for me to apply just right. That being said, any smokey eye does tend to take extra work for me to get the blending down. The formula is super creamy and emollient making it blend nicely but those with oily lids need not worry. Once you let it sit it sets and I found it didn’t budge or fade. It lasted on me all day from morning to night.

Bottom line, definitely worth looking into. I bought my cream shadow from Neiman Marcus. So far I haven’t spotted it anywhere else. But if you’ve seen it please share in the comments. Note it’s limited-edition so if you’re interested in the color I suggest checking it out sooner than later.

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Marc Jacobs Beauty

Marc Jacobs Beauty Le Marc Lip Crème

February 9, 2015

Marc Jacobs Beauty has released a new formula of lipstick called Le Marc Lip Crème ($30 each for 3.6 g / 0.12 oz). This is a one-swipe richly pigmented lipstick with a long lasting formula. The lipsticks come in 20 different shades named after iconic women that have been an inspiration to Marc Jacobs. I’m excited to share all twenty shades of Le Marc with you. In addition, I’ve teamed up with Marc Jacobs Beauty to take over their Instagram today – be sure to check out their page @marcbeauty and also my page @beautylookbook as I share more about these incredibly pigmented lip colors.

The Le Marc Lip Crème lipsticks are a full coverage lipstick designed with a semi-matte finish for a bold look. They come in the classic black lacquered tube with a magnetic clasp. Although these have a semi-matte and semi-velvety finish to them, I found the Lip Crèmes have a very slight bit sheen to them which prevents them from looking flat like most traditional mattes. All the colors are creams without shimmer yet still manage to give the lips depth. I was able to get full coverage with just one swipe although with rich colors, blending is key around the edges since the color will have a sharp contrast to your natural lip color. The texture is smooth and creamy – if your lips are on the dry side, I do recommend prepping with a balm first. The color will hug your lip which means it will adhere well and last quite a long time, but can also emphasize dry patches so be sure to have a clean and smooth lip first for the best wear.

For the color range, the Le Marc Lip Crèmes come in a variety of color options ranging from neutral pinks, to medium browns, to rich plums, hot pinks, dramatic reds and vibrant oranges. If you’re a fan of the bold lip this is a formula you are definitely going to love. Red lip fans are going to love the options of reds. There are a lot of different reds each with a slightly different undertone.

Here are all twenty shades of Le Marc all lined up. Note they are all pure crème formulas without any shimmer:

Close ups, swatches, descriptions and the inspiration behind each color (removed by request):
  • Georgie Girl is a pale cool-toned powder pink
  • Infamous is a neutral medium rose pink with a hint of mauve
  • Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is a deep vibrant rose, but still leans neutral, it’s a deeper and brighter version of Infamous
  • Boy Gorgeous is a rich plum magenta
  • Jolly Molly is a bright cool-toned pink cream

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  • Clara is a vibrant hot pink with a blue base
  • Je T’aime is a semi-muted medium coral red peach
  • Mahogany is a medium neutral brown
  • Core Cora is a vibrant hot coral that leans peach
  • So Sofia is a vibrant hot pink coral that leans a bit pink/red

    • ______________________________
    • Goddess is a deep but semi-bright brick red
    • Oh Miley! is a vibrant rich red
    • Dashing is a pigmented rich red with slight brown/brick tones 
    • Miss Scarlet is a brick red cream
    • Rei of Light is a medium red with brown tones, slightly lighter than Miss Scarlet

    Note that reds tend to pull very similar on my skin no matter what the difference in undertone is. These will probably look different on you compared to how they translate on me.

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    • Amazing is a deep but subdued red 
    • J’Adore is a warm medium brown
    • Magenta is a plum with a high shine
    • Blow is a medium vamp brown plum, this one has a medium slightly glossy finish making it slightly more like a stain
    • Scandal is a deep plum purple with a glossy finish, this one has a semi-transparent finish and applied more like a glossy stain on my lips

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    I tested these for several days and found that in a given day these did last a remarkably long time. The formula adheres well to the lips and hugs them so even after the initial color fades a little, your lips are still left with a significant amount of color. Mine lasted from early morning through several bottles of water and cups of coffee. At lunch the lip color came off mainly because I usually wipe my lips before eating but there was still a lot of color left on the lips. Without touching these they do stay put until you remove it. In terms of scent there is a very very slight hint of vanilla but it’s barely detectable so those with sensitive noses will really like that these are virtually fragrance free.

    Bottom line, 20 shades of Le Marc means there is a lot to explore. Marc Jacobs Beauty did a great job at creating a diverse color range and I think there’s at least one color to suit everyone’s likes and tastes. My personal favorites are Infamous (perfectly polished pink), Magenta (lush plum pink red), and Je T’aime (unique medium coral peach red mix).

    Close up of me applying Infamous (wearing and holding the O!Mega Bronzer)

    Below, Infamous (left) and Georgie Girl (right):

    One last shot wearing Infamous in late afternoon, still on the lips after 5 hours of wear:

    You can find all 20 shades of the Le Marc Lip Crèmes ($30 each) now online at Marc Jacobs Beauty.

    Have you checked out the Le Marc Lip Crèmes yet? Which shades are speaking to you?

    Many thanks to Marc Jacobs Beauty for sponsoring this post. For more information please refer to my disclosures.

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