Browsing Category

Loving Right Now

Giveaway Loving Right Now

Loving Right Now + Gift Card Giveaway

July 22, 2016

Happy Friday everyone! It’s been one of those weeks I thought would never end and I am relieved that it’s almost the weekend. Thank you to everyone who shared what you wanted to see on The Beauty Look Book blog in my last giveaway post. It’s always great to hear feedback on what you’ve liked and also what you would like to read more about. There were a lot of requests for features on a wide range of topics and I am beyond flattered so many of you want to know what I think about well basically anything! Most popular requests were for higher end skincare (I did not realize you guys liked the skincare posts!), budget-friendly cosmetics, full skincare routine, current hair care routine, more hauls, favorites roundups, inside my purse posts, shoe features, tutorials, makeup storage, more travel (so happy many of you loved this), time management, exclusive promo events and videos!

Since reading your requests, I’ve started to pull items for a full summer skincare routine and hair care routine post. I do tend to test a lot of products on myself to review for you so my routine changes frequently – but I will pull my favorites and include items I’ve used up. A few notes:
  • Nordstrom Anniversary Sale hauls posted on the blog, makeup picks here and fashion and skincare items hauled here
  • Exclusive promo savings for readers via Space NK US here – my apologies for those who were not able to use the code on Oribe, after several e-mails to the team, they’ve fixed the code and it works on all Oribe items (full size and travel sizes)
  • Antica Farmacista is doing a special online promo code, enter code ANTICABLB at checkout for a mini body butter with any online order!
  • Summer bronzer edit posted here (many of you have been asking for this for weeks!)
  • On videos I am hoping to do some in the future!
  • Loving right now/favorites in this post here today!

Right now for skincare, hair care and the home, I’m loving the following:

  1. Chanel Fresh Body Cream is a summer go-to for body lotions. It smells lightweight and fresh and even though a tub is pricey. I use it sparingly but it has lasted a long time. It hydrates without feeling sticky and won’t interfere with perfume. My wallet is crying at the thought of having to buy again but I think it is 100% worth the splurge.
  2. Clinique Take the Day Off Makeup Remover is what I use right now to remove mascara and eye makeup, its gentle but effective and doesn’t feel greasy. You can find it in two sets for the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale in the Chubby Lash Set and Take the Day Off Set
  3. Antica Farmacista is a line I just discovered and I really don’t know how this has passed my radar for so long, I received a few samples and the line is exquisite! My favorite item is the Cucumber and Lotus Flower Candle which is the perfect cooling relaxing scent for the home, I am going to need this one in all formats, detailed review next week – if you have any favorites from the line let me know! If you order online they’re offering a free mini body butter with any order, use code ANTICABLB
  4. Shu Uemura Art of Hair Ample Angora Volumizing Mousse is something new to me, I will say up front I typically hate mousse products because they’re usually sticky and make my hair hard to comb/brush, this one is really good though. I have naturally thick hair and find most volumizing products don’t really add that much volume to my already thick hair (I have tried dozens of sprays, creams, lotions, shampoos etc.) This one combined with heat styling of the T3 PROi Dryer (best dryer ever, thanks RaeView for recommending to me!!) gives serious volume all the way through from roots to ends.
  5. La Mer The Tonic is a toner I alternate with the SK-II Clear Treatment Lotion, I like both but reach for the La Mer more these days to help remove impurities after cleansing and rebalance the skin. The formula has been a go-to for years and often times I try others in attempts to find a more affordable option, but this one never fails me.
  6. Kate Somerville Gentle Daily Wash is a favorite for every day multiple times a day. It’s one of the few I can use frequently without it stripping my skin. I’ve tried and repurchased all her cleansers and this is the only one that won’t irritate my skin on tender skin days. My brother has acne-prone skin that is even more sensitive than mine. I bought him this one to try and it’s one of the few he says is gentle enough for his skin (he’s in his early 20s). Also available in a larger 16 oz size with a pump and her Clinic Solutions Kit (I bought this for travel).

For makeup and fragrance:

  1. Hourglass Ambient Luminous Light Palette is nothing but pure love, it’s a Nordstrom Beauty Exclusive for this year’s Anniversary Sale and I think it is perfect. If you already own the palette from last holiday or the individual colors you can skip this one. Also there’s a new marble palette that’s coming out for holiday that you might want to wait for as previewed on @gossmakeupartist’s Instagram (it looks dreamy but I think the colors are different!). My review + swatches in this post here.
  2. Chanel Aqua Glossimers for summer are sheered out glossimers new for summer. Review on all the shades in this post here. These are nice for an effortless wash of shine and a hint of color.
  3. Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche in Sugarcane is a perfect baby pink that covers the lip entirely, I also like Honeycomb which is a perfect nude, swatches + review of the neutrals in this formula can be found in this post here
  4. MAC Sunblessed Cremesheen (in the Nordstrom Sunblessed Kit) is a great pinky nude on me even though it looks more peachy in the tube. Swatched on my lips here.
  5. Charlotte Tilbury Hot Lips are almost too hot to handle. I adore her Matte Revolution formula and was thrilled to see more neutrals and brights launched in her Hot Lips Collection. All the shades purchased by me and swatched in this post.
  6. NARS Long Hot Summer Eyeshadow Palette (review soon) is an exclusive to NARS online and boutiques. This has great neutrals deep enough for medium to tan skintones. I’ll review and swatch this soon.
  7. Tom Ford Soleil Blanc is the perfect white floral summer fragrance. I love it. Review here.
  8. YSL Glossy Stain 07 is a ripe juicy peach that has enough color to be more than a neutral but isn’t too bright so it will suit neutral makeup lovers (also in the Nordstrom Rebel Nudes Set)
I’m hosting one more Nordstrom eGift Card Giveaway! I’m giving away 3 $100 USD eGift Cards to Nordstrom. Details as follows:
  • Open internationally
  • You must be 18 years old or older
  • Enter through widget
  • Entries will be collected through Sunday 7/24/2016 11:30 AM PST
  • Winners will be selected at random via the widget, emailed Sunday evening

a Rafflecopter giveaway

What are you loving right now? Did you haul anything good from the Nordstrom sale or any other places recently?

Press samples featured include Shu Uemura, Antica Farmacista, Bite Amuse Bouche.
25 Comments
Loving Right Now Roundup

Loving Right Now

June 7, 2016

 

Right now it’s sandal season and I’ve been on the hunt for cute new sandals. I splurged on a pair of the Tory Burch Miller Flip Flops and am beyond obsessed. They are super comfy and I found them to be true to size. For the toes I usually love bright corals and reds but I’ve been wearing Tom Ford Sugar Dune and it’s always so perfect. You can see the sandal + polish combo shown on the toes here, original review here. (P.S. The image above is interactive so you can shop the products by clicking the icons on the image.)

 

A few of you have asked about the sunglasses I’ve been featuring lately – if you remember posts from last year, I discovered the Marc by Marc Jacobs Rimless Aviators which were the perfect small frames and I bought like 5 of the colors because they were so affordable and the size was just right. Since the Marc by Marc Jacobs line has been discontinued the style I had sold out eventually as the line was phased out. I bought newly listed ones by Marc Jacobs called the 59MM Semi Rimless Sunglasses and found that they are identical with the exception of the frame sides. They have a slightly different look and now say Marc Jacobs. Aside from that they are a bit more expensive but the same small size and they fit me perfectly.

 

Makeup wise I tried the Anastasia Liquid Lipsticks in Stripped and Crush both of which are perfect neutrals but look really dried out with the matte look. I add a clear gloss like the Chanel or a balm like the Charlotte Tilbury Lip Magic on top to give it a bit of shine and the color lasts all day without caking, creasing or budging. Balms help prevent them from drying out my lips a bit more but overall they are still like MAC lipsticks to me in the sense that they dry out my lips by the next day they are peeling. Still the colors are beyond perfect and adding a balm makes them more wearable.

 

I also picked up some of the Anastasia Eyeshadows and OMG they are incredible! The size of the pans are same to MAC’s but the texture of the Anastasia shadows are rich and velvety with impressive pigment payoff. The quad above has colors Sateen (cream shimmer), Chiffon (olive shimmer), Warm Taupe (soft matte taupe) and Chocolate (shimmering cool brown). You buy the pans individually and there is a 4-pan palette you can buy separately to put the shadows in. Review to follow soon. The Glossier Boy Brow also makes grooming brows super easy.

 

For the face I just rediscovered Becca Mineral Blushes. Wild Honey is the perfect warm nude neutral. I still think the Luminous Blushes (reviewed here) are beyond amazing but if you need something less shimmery the Mineral Blushes are the way to go. The Estée Edit Flash Illuminators are a pretty close dupe to the Tom Ford Skin Illuminator in Fire Lust in terms of finish. I picked up two shades, Day Light is shown above and is the closest to Fire Lust. They aren’t identical – but pretty close and the Estée Edit version is a lot cheaper.

 

NARS Velvet Matte Skin Tint is my go-to base of the season and I’ve been reaching for the Estee Lauder Double Wear Concealer a lot because the color is a good match and it really does stay in place without creasing or separating as the day progresses. I picked up the concealer during my color correcting makeover back in March. For those curious about what I think about the whole color correcting trend months after it was seen everywhere – I think it’s been life changing. The green corrector has been a life saver for covering dark spots for me. The Algenist Color Drops in Blue help brighten the overall complexion. Out of all the tips I learned – I would say I use the green corrector the most frequently. The other steps I use on a weekly basis depending on what my skin needs.

 

Scent of the day is Diptyque Florabellio in the limited-edition travel size although I’ve been rotating scents on a daily basis. Summer fragrance roundup to follow soon as well.

 

What have you been loving these days? Do you have any sandal favorites?
12 Comments
Loving Right Now

Sunday Details and Loves

February 7, 2016

Happy Sunday everyone! I hope you’ve been having a great weekend. The sun finally came back here in Southern California and we have weather in the 70s – I can’t tell you how much of a mood lifter this warm weekend has been. I’ve been on a fragrance kick lately, I’ll have a roundup of what I have in rotation soon on the blog. I just picked up my first Maison Martin Margiela in Replica Beach Walk (the rollerball mini) which is the most amazing beachy mix. It has bergamot, coconut milk, lemon, pink pepper, and musk … I think it’s only a matter of time before I pick up the full size spray. Right now I’ve been loving the Chloé Eau de Parfum for a soft femine scent (shown above). I have Love Story on my wishlist but it seems to have a very similar feel to the regular Chloé – if you’ve tried any of the Chloe perfumes please let me know what your favorite is!

Other details today include the Chanel Le Volume de Chanel Mascara Waterproof in Noir (a go-to these days), NARS Blush Duo in Hot Sand + Orgasm (reviewed here) and NARS Babydoll Lip Gloss (such a pretty pink shimmer, lip swatch here). I just started playing with the new Tom Ford Cream Color for Eyes last week and am beyond thrilled they’ve re-launched Platinum. It’s one of the best all over lid shades that makes a great easy wash for lazy days. It also makes for a great base for powder shadows. Today I’m testing three layered together. Shown above from top to bottom is Platinum, Opale and Caviar. I have taken photographs of all the shades + swatches, I just need to edit them for a post very soon.

Last but not least, I wanted to do a comparison between two makeup bags. I splurged on the Louis Vuitton Epi Cosmetic Case in Dune last month. The nude pink color is just so pretty and it had been on my wishlist for a long time. I really like the durability and classic look of the Epi line and after thinking about this one for months decided to go for it. A few weeks ago I featured the Tory Burch York Cosmetic Case in my Valentine’s Day Gift Guide round up post as a less expensive alternative (it’s still on the pricey side, but more affordable). I purchased one in Light Oak which is a nude pink color. It’s made of Saffiano textured leather and very sturdy. (More colors here.) If you’re looking to treat yourself, a friend or a loved one on a pretty cosmetic case, I think either of these are great.

Here’s a side by side comparison. The one from Tory Burch is slightly smaller in size compared to the one from Louis Vuitton, but the overall shape and function is the same.

Tory Burch Small York Case measures 6″W x 4″H x 2 ½”D
Louis Vuitton Epi Cosmetic Case measures 6.7″ x 4.7″ x 2.4″ inches

I hope you are enjoying the last bits of your weekend! If you have any new beauty discoveries, or found some items in your stash that you have rediscovered, I’ve love to hear about what you are loving right now! P.S. if you’re a fan of the Bite Beauty Luminous Crème Lipsticks note they are being discontinued so if you have any favorite shades you might want to stock up. On February 12th they will be launching a new lipstick formula (30+ shades) – I can’t to share more details with you.

Some press samples featured above include NARS Babydoll Lip Gloss, Tom Ford Platinum and Opale Cream Shadows.
32 Comments
Loving Right Now

Loving Right Now

December 6, 2014

A few things I’m loving this weekend:

Mini lipsticks are in right now. Charlotte Tilbury has the cutest Lipstick Charm Trio with Bitch Perfect, Penelope Pink and So Marilyn. They are super tiny at 1 g each, but each lipstick comes with a purple ribbon attached. I bought this trio as a gift but now I want one for myself. (Available at Bergdorf Goodman, on backorder at Nordstrom).

Tom Ford Lips & Boys launched Thanksgiving Day, Black Friday and Cyber Monday. They will be making a re-appearance at the end of the month at select Tom Ford Boutiques and Counters. I made several different orders since no one website had all the colors I wanted. My items are still trickling in. I’ll try to post swatches and reviews as soon as I can. In the meantime, I recommend the Tom Ford Beauty Thread at Specktra.net for reference and swatches.

Gold lipglosses are still an obsession for me. My favorite right now is Charlotte Tilbury Lip Lustre in Ibiza Nights has been a go-to for me. It’s the prettiest sparkling gold. Swatches and color focus series here.

If you missed out on the Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals for Truffle, the good news is they are having a promotion of 20% off orders $100 or more with code HOLIDAY20. I ordered three from the last promotion (two as gifts, one for me) and the new Nude Privacy Clutch is to die for gorgeous. I think it’s the best one they’ve released to date. Color comparisons below for reference on the pale colors. More inspiration on how I’ve used these clever pouches here, here, and here.

Dior Lili Nail Polish is still my perfect nude for right now. Full review + swatches here, but I can’t get enough of this color.

What are you loving right now?

20 Comments
Loving Right Now

Loving Right Now

November 18, 2014
iPhone case by Gray Malin, bracelet by Celine

November is flying by faster than I expected it to. The holiday season is just starting and I’m not prepared at all. This weekend I’ll try to start making to-do and shopping lists to try and get an early start. I think most of my holiday shopping will be done online this year to avoid crowds and lines. Our new place is slowly coming together as we get all of our furniture delivered piece by piece. Our coffee table and some bookshelves finally arrived and I’m excited to start decorating and adding personal touches.

Right now, I’m loving a mix of new and old beauty items.

I’m all about flat zip pouches, I’ve been loving this Black Croc-Print Small Clutch (1) by Whistles, (similar here, white here) which is the perfect size for a makeup bag or a clutch. This newly released all-black Privacy Clutch by Truffle is also calling my name.

For cheeks, I’ve been using soft bronzers non-stop. The Laura Mercier Matte Radiance Baked Powder (2) has been raved about for quite some time. Several of my blogger friends told me to get it. I listened, bought it, and I love it. I’ve been using Bronze 02.

Pinks have been my go-to lately for lipgloss. I’ve been loving the Dior Pink Excess (3) for holiday and Laura Mercier Pink Pop Lip Glacé (also in this mini 5 piece set) (4).

On the eyes, I’ve been using the Laura Mercier Mini Caviar Set (5) almost daily. Amethyst is a really pretty soft purple mauve that goes with virtually every lip/cheek look I’ve tried. If you gift yourself one beauty item this season, I would highly recommend this set (unless you already own all the colors).

Charlotte Tilbury’s Powder and Sculpt Brush (6) is a tool I keep reaching for. It’s perfectly shaped for contouring and highlighting. The bristles pick up just the right amount of product. (Review here.)

NARS Audacious Lipsticks (7) are still a huge hit with me (swatches of my picks here). Every color I’ve tried is amazing. I’ve been loving Anita a neutral pink.

Lumira released a new collection called Paradisium. The Eau de Parfum (8) is to die for. It has Bergamot, Grapefruit and Lemon, Fig Nectar and Guava, Vetiver, Sea Moss and Cedarwood. It’s the most unique scent I’ve smelled. It’s refreshing and uplifting and soothing. The closest thing I can think of is Jo Malone’s Wood Sage and Sea Salt which I liked but wore during super humid weather where it turned on my skin (in a bad way) and did not work well with my body chemistry. It was too earthy and after having it turn once, I can’t wear it anymore (thank goodness I got a sample to test before splurging). The Lumira Paradisium is a better alternative, it has enough sweetness in it to keep it from turning on the skin. the lasting power is phenomenal. A dedicated post on the line to come soon.

My Tatcha love continues. I’ve been loving the Camellia Nourishing Lip Balm (9) and Indigo Hand Cream Mini (10). Be sure to check out the holiday sets, these two products are included in a number of beautiful gift options this year.

Burberry’s Effortless Liquid Liner (11) is a beautiful classic liner. I’ve been experimenting more with this liquid liner and although it still takes me some time to get a good even line, practice is improving my liner skills.

I know it’s fall/winter season now where darker scents are in season, but I’m still loving the florals like Diptyque Geranium Odorata (12). It’s a brightening scent that I find refreshing. (Original review here.)
I hope your week is going well so far! What have you been loving this week?
The Lumira EDP, Diptyque Geranium Odorata and Burberry Liner were provided for review consideration. Rest purchased by me.

8 Comments