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Beauty Favorites Loving Right Now Roundup

Spring Neutrals and Staples

May 16, 2017

I’m obsessed with fresh pretty neutrals for spring and I have a roundup today of some old and new things in beauty. Over the past few months some new formulas in lips, eyes and cheeks have launched and of course I had to check out the nude options. I feel like we didn’t really see any trends for spring makeup but rather more mini launches and a lot of reformulations on products. I’ve teamed up with Nordstrom today to share a look at some things I’m loving right now along with some first impressions on new formulas.

First up my favorite category for lips. I’m a gloss girl at heart even with the liquid lip trend still going strong. I have dozens of neutrals and even though so many are similar I just can’t get enough. Glosses are more forgiving on dry lips compared to lipsticks or liquid lipsticks. A few I’ve been obsessed with, shown below left to right:

Chanel Rouge Coco Gloss in Caresse 714
Burberry Kisses Lip Gloss in Nude Beige
Bobbi Brown Shimmer Lip Gloss in Rose Gold (a long time staple)
Bobbi Brown Lip Gloss in Buff

My most-used lip liner these days is MAC Lip Pencil in Boldly Bare – it’s the perfect go with everything kind of rosy tone. MAC repackaged their Lipglass and changed some of the colors. I’ll do a full review soon but for now the neutrals I have top to bottom are Love Nectar, Spice, Lust, Beaux and Oh Baby.

All of these have medium coverage that shows up on the lips with the exception of Bobbi Brown Buff which is on the sheerer side.

Swatches below (I added Chanel Caramel to the mix). If you’re looking for a less expensive option to the Chanel Caramel or Caresse, I’d say MAC Lust and Spice are pretty close in color. I do think the Chanel formula is superior, the MAC ones can settle in lip lines if you don’t have a base, liner or lipstick underneath. (My go-to lip base is the MAC Prep+Prime Lip.)

Next for eyes, I still think one of the best neutral shadow palettes is Urban Decay Naked2 but I’m always looking forward to new formulas and colors. Chanel launched two new formulas called Ombre Premiere Longwear Powder Eyeshadow and Ombre Premiere Longwear Cream Eyeshadow. I ordered three sight unseen and WOW they are truly long-wearing. In the powder I ordered Flesh which is a satiny soft champagne with a very soft finely milled sheen. It’s just gorgeous! For the creams I ordered Scintillance, a peachy champagne and Undertone, a neutral brown taupe. Both have the most beautiful shimmer I’ve ever seen.

The powder has a super soft texture and has rich pigment that is easy to blend. It wears well alone or over the cream. The creams have a stiffer texture than you’d normally think of in a cream but the color is easy to pick up and blend with the little brush or with fingers. These stayed put all day from morning to evening through a hot day (it ranged from 80’s to low 90’s). I have dry lids so I don’t recommend layering the creams over each other – they set quickly to a long-wear finish without any emollient texture. I do think any powder layered over them quickly will help intensify the powder color.

I also checked out the NARS counter recently and a Velvet Shadow Stick in Siros caught my eye. I don’t know if it’s new or an older color but it’s a soft copper bronze. For those who want a tiny bit of shimmer but not frost this is a great option.

After playing around with the new Chanel and NARS I thought they looked really similar to some Tom Ford and Burberry options I had. I had to pull them out to compare for you. There are similarities but the formulas and finishes are very different. I love the Tom Ford Cream Color for Eyes but I know some of you find them a bit too emollient in which case I’d recommend you check out the Chanel Ombre Premiere because they stay put longer. The Burberry Eye Contour Shadow Stick in Pale Copper has more shimmer and is more pigmented compared to the NARS Velvet Shadow Stick in Siros.

For cheeks my go-to neutral blush is the Charlotte Tilbury Cheek to Chic in First Love. It has the prettiest soft sheen and two colors to swirl together. I loved the formula so much I bought almost all the colors. It occurred to me that I never swatched them all so I’ve added them below. My next favorite is Ecstasy which is a pretty peach option.

Bobbi Brown launched these new Glow Sticks which are cream twist up sticks. I fell in love with Island at the counter because of the pretty soft gold sheen it has. They are emollient similar to the texture of the RMS Mix Master and Living Luminizer so if you can wear those you will like this formula/texture. If you’re super oily you may want to skip or try before you buy. On my skin Island has a barely there kind of glow. I’ve gotten tan so this one almost matches my skin tone. I wore it under blush the other day and it stayed put without getting oily. I haven’t tested it by itself yet but will keep doing so in the upcoming weeks.

Ouai launched a new Rose Hair and Body Oil and it comes in a pink tinted oil. I’m obsessed with this as a body oil. Compared to the original Hair Oil the Rose version has a less powdery scent and has a lighter more fluid texture. For the hair I feel the original Hair Oil is more versatile to use as a pre or post styling treatment. For the Rose version I tried it several different ways – the best results for me were to use it on the ends of either towel dried hair or blow dry hair that was about 70 to 80% dry. Sometimes I just want my roots to dry first so it doesn’t irritate my scalp but I want the rest of my hair to air dry. Leaving it on ends of damp hair left the hair looking soft and shiny. A little goes a very long way – it’s fluid and absorbs quickly so I thought I wasn’t getting enough the first few tries, I applied too much and it left my hair looking stringy. I only use 1 pump and evenly distribute. On the body it leaves the skin feeling lightly hydrated and soft. It’s a win for me.

Last but not least a few beauty staples that I love from Tom Ford Beauty. I’ve been playing around with different bases for the past few months but regardless of weather the Tom Ford Waterproof Foundation and Concealer wins. The name makes it seem like it might be too opaque or too heavy, but I assure you it’s not. It is full coverage but looks very natural, doesn’t cake, doesn’t oxidize and lasts all day. I love the finish and the colors in the Tom Ford line are always great for my olive/yellow skintone. My most-worn neutral polish is Sugar Dune which I highly recommend. It’s the best neutral nude pink with good smooth coverage. You do need 2 to 3 coats but the color is perfect and formula is excellent. With the hot humid weather more mascaras have started to smudge on me. The Waterproof Extreme Mascara is pure love. I need to buy another tube soon because this one is hitting the 3 month mark. It volumizes, holds the curl, doesn’t smudge and lengthens. Last but not least I think the best nude lipstick from Tom Ford is the Lips and Boys Lipstick in Bradley. I’ve featured it so many times on the blog – it’s the perfect peachy beige neutral and doesn’t wash me out. I lost mine and after looking for it for a week decided it was lost for good and bought another one.

Quick beauty look with:

Tom Ford Waterproof Foundation and Concealer in Natural
Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Powder Foundation in #4 to set
Bobbi Brown Glow Stick in Island on cheeks
Charlotte Tilbury Cheek to Chic in First Love mixed
Chanel Ombre Premiere Longwear Cream Shadows in Scintillance and Undertone layered
MAC Lip Pencil in Boldy Bare topped with MAC Lipglass in Lust
Off shoulder top by Paige

That rounds up my latest testing of spring neutrals and new beauty launches from Nordstrom. I hope you enjoyed and if you’re on the hunt for a good neutral nude lip gloss I hope the side by side swatches help! Also be sure to check out their Gift With Purchase page. There are a lot of great GWPs going on 🙂

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Many thanks to Nordstrom for partnering to sponsor this post. Press samples include the Tom Ford Waterproof Foundation and Ouai Hair Oil (original). All others purchased by me.

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On My Radar Roundup

On My Radar / New In Beauty

May 13, 2017

Happy Weekend! A little roundup today of some things I have on my radar with new beauty launches. Most of the time these roundups are simply things on my radar that have caught my attention. I don’t always decide to purchase or feature everything, especially if I have a chance to test briefly in store. This round though I can say right now that I will be featuring at least 8 of the things shown. I’m feeling all kinds of neutral rose tones these days and love that there are some really pretty new neutrals out.

Ouai Rose Hair and Body Oil just launched and I could not be more excited. I found this in a trio at my local Sephora (haven’t seen it online yet) so I was able to try it before it officially launched in the full size online. It has a wonderful scent of soft rose mixed with bergamot, lychee and white musk. I previously reviewed the Hair Oil and wasn’t the biggest fan of the scent. I put it aside but started using it again and I’ve found that I like it now. The classic scent is better suited for warm weather for me, however the new Rose Hair and Body Oil scent is much better. Full review to follow, it’s silicone-free.
Christophe Robin Cleansing Volumizing Paste with Pure Rassoul Clay and Rose Extracts is another new launch, I’ve been such a huge fan of his Purifying Scrub and Cleansing Mask with Lemon, I know I need to try this. I have a list going in my shopping cart because the stores near me don’t appear to carry it.
La Mer Glowing Body Oil is something I tried at the counter last week and fell in love. I was so surprised to find that the counter rep told me it had sold out everywhere. I checked online and sure enough it was either sold out or on backorder.
Joie A La Plage Nice Sandals have been on my radar for months but I didn’t know what size I would be, depending on color I fit both the 6.5 and 7, I now have these in three colors – they’re perfect for warm weather!
Becca x Chrissy Teigan Glow Face Palette is beyond gorgeous, I’ll be reviewing this one soon.
Louboutin Metalinudes Nail Polishes are a nail polish lover’s dream come true, I ordered all three shades and can’t wait to start playing with them!
The Daily Edited Pouches in Taupe and Hazelnut are some of the prettiest neutrals I’ve seen, I’ve been going back and forth debating which colors to order, you can monogram them too!
One of my readers @ddelriobud messaged me to look into And Other Stories Candles – she said she found a Diptyque Figuier dupe! I don’t have a store near me but I’m dying to check these out now!
A lot of you ask what the tinted sunglasses I have are, they’re from J.crew in the Irving Style, but the blush color is sold out, you can still find that color in other styles like the Sam (shown) or the Franny as well
Chanel launched new eyeshadows in the Ombre Premiere Longwear Cream Shadow and Powder Formula, I ordered a couple of both formulas to test, stay tuned for the review! (and yes, I still have summer picks I will review as well)
Bobbi Brown Glow Sticks launched for summer, the rep at the counter said they are long wearing and won’t get greasy, it has a dewy feel (based on counter swatching) but I haven’t tried it on my face yet, I picked up Island which is a shimmery nude gold and will keep you posted

What’s on your radar this weekend? Anything you’ve been loving right now?

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Beauty Favorites Roundup

My Favorite Everyday Neutral Nail Polishes

February 14, 2017

Today’s post is another one by popular request. It seems like neutral nail polishes are what a lot of you need recommendations for and I totally understand the pain of finding a good one. There are so many neutral options but many are that either too sheer, too light, too pink or really beige and if you’re like me you’ll go to the store, look at all the OPI or Essie options and think hmmm a lot of these look really similar. I’ve found that something with a bit of pink and nude mixed together works best for my olive skintone. I’m still on the hunt for the perfect light nude peach that isn’t too yellow, too orange or beige. I love the look of OPI Samoan Sand on others but on me it’s a bit too dark and a bit too peachy. I did a similar post back in 2014 of my Favorite Nude Pink Polishes. Today I have an updated version although a few of them will be on repeat because I just haven’t found anything better.

If you see me wearing a nude polish, there is a really good chance that it’s either Tom Ford Sugar Dune, Essie Topless and Barefoot or Burberry Nude Pink. All three are very similar – the difference is slight in undertone but pigment and wear time is also different. Many times you just don’t know what a color will look like until you try it on your hands. Something that looks incredibly boring in the bottle like Tom Ford Sugar Dune ends up being one of the prettiest soft nude pinks ever. If you think all these look the same you’re right but I’ll add descriptions on what makes them each unique so you can find the right one for you.

Lineup in natural light:

Descriptions as I see them and notes on how many coats it takes for full coverage:

Essie Spin the Bottle is a nude pink with slight warmth to it, it’s one of the few ones that has a bit of beige and peach that I can wear, this one takes two coats for full coverage and the best way to make it last is with Seche Vite top coat, although many of you have recommended the Essie No Chips Ahead
Essie Topless and Barefoot is one of my most-worn polishes, it’s a nude pink and has more pink than Spin the Bottle, this one unfortunately almost always gets tip wear on me within 7 hours to 1 day no matter what top coat I use, but I still love the color so with this one I’m going to try it with the Essie top coat once I have a chance to go pick one up, this one always need 3 to 4 coats for me
Louboutin Tutulle (all 10 of the nudes swatched and reviewed here) is one of the best nude beige pink polishes I’ve tried, all the Louboutin nudes are just flawless, it has smooth shiny coverage and only takes 2 coats and usually lasts a minimum of 7 days without chipping or tip wear
Tom Ford Sugar Dune is a light powdery looking cool pink, on the hands it gives the most polished elegant look I’ve seen, I get full coverage with two coats but there are times I need three
Chanel Organdi (reviewed here) is another great neutral, this is one of the darker colors but it’s still light enough in color that it gives the hands the look of being lighter and brighter, this has medium coverage in texture but you can get full coverage with two thin coats
OPI Mimosas for Mr and Mrs is one of the sheerest neutrals I own and takes a minimum of 3 coats, the result is a clean looking light pink neutral though so sometimes when I have patience I’m ok with the extra work it takes
OPI Be There in a Prosecco (application shown here) is one of the lightest polishes I have that isn’t a pure white but pretty close, it has a bit of cream in it without being yellow, this gives the effect of white polish but it’s not as harsh on the skin, this one has full coverage with two coats, the first coat will be streaky but it will even out with the second
Dior Incognito is a classic neutral pink with warmth, for me this looks better when I have a tan, but I love that it’s semi sheer but still incredibly smooth with a flawless high shine finish, I need two coats with this one
Burberry Nude Pink (also reviewed here) is another classic, it’s lasted over two years and is still just as good as when I bought it, many of mine last for years, it’s a great opaque neutral nude pink, full coverage achieved with two coats
Nails Inc. Bond Street Passage is a new one to me, it’s not really one I’d consider in the neutral category because it looks more like a mauve pink in the bottle, on the hands it pulls more like a neutral with a pink kick, this is a one coat wonder but I still prefer it with two coats to get a more cushiony look, I haven’t tried much from this line, so far only 3 polishes, but every time I do I’m really just blown away by the pigment in their polishes!

Swatches on the nail wheel, all of these have two coats with the exception of OPI Mimosas for Mr. and Mrs. which has 4 and Essie Topless and Barefoot which has 3:

Swatches in natural lighting for each of these polishes, OPI Be There in a Prosecco (Ulta Beauty), two coats:

OPI Mimosas for Mr and Mrs (Ulta Beauty), three coats:

Two coats, mug from Etsy:

Essie Topless and Barefoot (Ulta Beauty), three coats:

Essie Spin the Bottle (Ulta Beauty), three coats:

Burberry Nude Pink (Nordstrom), two coats:

Tom Ford Sugar Dune (Nordstrom), two coats:

Chanel Organdi (Chanel.com), two coats:

Louboutin Tutulle (Nordstrom and Sephora), two coats:

Nails Inc Bond Street Passage (Sephora), two coats:

Dior Incognito (Sephora), two coats:

Another look of the polishes lined up in sunlight with flash:

You definitely do not need all of these, but I hope this helps compare colors in a side by side and swatch manner. I’ve accumulated many polishes over the past few years and these are my favorite neutrals that you can still find today. A few other favorites have been limited-editions from Dior and you can’t find them anymore so I didn’t want to include those in the roundup. As many of you have asked for recommendations that are in the more affordable price range I included Essie and OPI to the mix. I usually consider myself a lover of brighter or bold shades for the fingers like Chanel Camelia or Louboutin Miss Mars, but I really like the clean and almost brightening look of neutral nails.

My top three favorites of the moment: Tom Ford Sugar Dune, Louboutin Tutulle and Chanel Organdi.

Do you have any neutral favorites? I know the word “neutral” can mean something different to everyone, but I’d love to hear what yours are! They don’t have to be nude pinks like the ones I featured, let me know what has worked for you and if you can share your skintone that would be super helpful as well 🙂

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Beauty Beauty Favorites Roundup

Best Beauty Discoveries 2016

December 29, 2016

I can hardly believe another year has flown by! Thank you to each and every one of you who followed me along on my beauty journey this past year. Today I have a round up of my 2016 favorites in makeup (skincare to follow in a separate post). As a long-time nail polish junkie I was surprised to find this past year was pretty light on the nail polish features and reviews – I remember in past years going through tons of nail wheels and bottles of polish remover. Perhaps by now I simply have collected all the possible colors? 2016’s focus seemed to be all about lips and highlighters for me. As always I’d love to hear what your favorite makeup discoveries were for the year! I picked out items that were new in 2016 (they’re listed in alphabetical order by brand):

Lips

Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche wins for creamiest most opaque lipstick launch, the colors I reached for the most were Honeycomb and Sake
Chanel Rouge Allure Gloss in Super Nude (review here) is one of the prettiest wearable nudes, it’s limited-edition and I bought a backup
Chanel Rouge Coco Stylo Lipcare in Conte (all colors review here) is my favorite formula launch of 2016
Charlotte Tilbury Hot Lips in Super Cindy was part of one of the best lipstick launches of the year, I splurged on all the colors (and swatched them in this post here)
Dior Addict Lip Glow in Lilac (review here) could possibly go under skincare as it’s more of a balmy kind of product, the lilac color is just so pretty
Dior Rouge Dior in Grege 1947 wins for best neutral feminine pink for me
MAC Liptensity Lipstick in Doe, Smoked Almond and Medium Rare (review here) is one of my favorite lipstick launches of 2016, I loved the colorful packaging and intense opaque smooth color
MAC Viva Glam Ariana Grande II Lipglass (review here) is one of the best nude mauve neutrals ever
NARS Velvet Lip Glide in Bound (review here) is another great everyday rose mauve cream
Tom Ford Lips and Boys in Bradley and Douglas (review here) is a nude-lip lover’s dream come true, all the new colors this year were amazing
Tom Ford Soleil Moisturecore Lip Color (review here) wins for best color collection
YSL Rouge Volupte Shine Oil in Stick in Beige Blouse #47 (swatches here) is another great nude, after my review quite a few of you e-mailed me saying you picked up the same color and finally found your HG nude – yay!!

Face and Cheeks

Anastasia Beverly Hills Glow Kit in Sun Dipped (review here)
Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Luminous Blush in Camellia (review here) was my favorite pink shimmer
Diorskin Nude Air Luminizer Powder (review here) was the best highlighter launch of the year for me
Edward Bess Threads of Silk Powder in Ciao (review here)
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Surreal Light Palette (review here) favorite face palette of the year
Laura Mercier Candleglow Perfecting Powder in #1 or #2 (review here) best setting powder discovery
Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Concealer (review here) works wonders for concealing dark under eye circles
NARS Velvet Matte Skin Tint in Groenland and St. Moritz (review here) wins for natural looking coverage foundation
Tom Ford Sheer Cheek Duo in Bi-Coastal (review here) prettiest glowy pink + highlighter colors
Tom Ford Shimmer Shot in Spin Spin Sugar (review here) favorite liquid highlighter of the year
Tom Ford Waterproof Foundation (review here) best full coverage foundation that lasts all day long

Eyes

Anastasia Beverly Hills Eyeshadow Singles (review here and here) colors shown above are Sateen, Chiffon, Warm Taupe and Chocolate
Bobbi Brown Eye Opening Mascara is something I discovered earlier this year, it adds volume, hold curl and doesn’t smudge
Tom Ford Eye Shadow Quad in Honeymoon (review here)

Nails

Chanel Le Vernis in Organdi (review here) was my most-worn color this year
Louboutin had the best colors and formulas for me this year, I loved Miss Mars and the Hawaii Kawai Trio minis were so fun to shoot, there were three Red Nail Extensions that I was able to play with back in May to swatch for you, months later I ended up buying Jazzy Doll and Edgypopi

What were your makeup favorites this past year? They can be new launches, rediscoveries or new-to-you products! I love reading about your favorites so please feel free to share in the comments below. Several of you have asked that I bring back the monthly roundups on a regular basis, some have asked for a hits and misses roundup as well. I’ll be starting a monthly review series in the new year!

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Monthly Favorites Roundup

August Beauty and Skincare Favorites

September 1, 2016

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 /

8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12 / 13 / 14 / 15

Quite a few of you have asked that I bring back my monthly favorites roundups so I have one for you today. Many of you like the rotation and roundup kind of posts, I still have the nail/hand care, foundation, hair styling and skincare ones in the work. For those who can’t wait I’ll say that my top three favorite foundations still remain the NARS Velvet Matte Skin Tint (still Groenland + St. Moritz mixed), Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Invisible Cover Foundation (I use 125/Y315, all shades also available online in this value set now) and the Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Invisible Cover Stick Foundation (my best match is 123/Y365).

Onto my favorites for this month which was difficult for me to narrow down. I’m still enjoying these Molton Brown mini hand washes and these lip treatments. In addition these liquid lips are really very good. I have managed to narrow down a list of my top favorites for this past month though even though a lot of loves have gone unmentioned:

Anastasia Beverly Hills Eyeshadows have been in heavy rotation because of their silky smooth texture, rich pigment, blendable finish and easy to wear shades. You can pick and choose your own colors to create quads, the one shown above has Sateen, Chiffon, Warm Taupe and Chocolate. To date I’ve accumulated quite a few you can see swatched here and here.
Bobbi Brown Eye Opening Mascara is something I discovered in a set from the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. I love this because it thickens, volumizes and holds the curl. It also looks super dark on the lashes. I will repurchase this.
Dior Vernis in Minimal (c/o) is my current perfect pale polished nude. Review + swatch here.
Diorskin Nude Air Luminizer Powder (c/o) is relatively new to me but it is hands down the most naturally luminous highlighter I’ve tried this year (out of the new ones launched this year). I think it’s a must, swatches here.
Anastasia Glow Kit in Sundipped is one of the prettiest palettes I think I’ve seen in a while. If you don’t mind a good shimmer this is a great one for eyes and cheeks. I like mixing and swirling colors before applying to the eyes. Review + swatches here.
MAC Eyelash Curler is something I picked up recently and was pleasantly surprised. My go-to Chanel lash curlers have seen better days after years of use and I don’t think they’re carried in the US anymore. The one from MAC comes in close second for my eye shape.
Tom Ford Ultra Rich Lip Color in Revolve Around Me (c/o) best nude for me right now (actually since April of this year). You can see it swatched on my lips in this post here.
Edward Bess Deep Shine Lip Gloss in French Lace is a pretty soft pink. All of his lip glosses reviewed in this post here.
Charlotte Tilbury Hot Lips in Kidman’s Kiss (shown) and Super Cindy are both pretty close neutral peachy colors, I think the entire Hot Lips Lipsticks have been a knock out success, especially for those who like matte lips (she has the best matte lipstick formula in my opinion). The entire launch reviewed and swatched here.
Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat in Pillow Talk and Iconic Nude are my most reached for liners. Pillow Talk is a deeper pinky color while Iconic Nude is a brown nude. Both swatched here.
Bumble and Bumble Surf Shampoo wins for best shampoo to clean the hair well with a squeaky clean feel but won’t dry out the hair. It has a mild but fresh beachy kind of scent. Leaves the hair feeling soft and fluffy (but not frizzy). Even my husband likes it. September beauty events are just around the corner. I recommend putting this on your shopping list. I will repurchase this.
Bumble and Bumble Surf Conditioner also is a winner. I rarely am in love with both shampoo and conditioners of the same formula/brand and typically have to mix and match. This combo is pure love. More in this review here.
Tatcha Pore Perfecting Water Gel (c/o) is something I received earlier in the spring. It took me a long time to get into testing this because frankly I don’t like face gels. They’re often sticky or tacky and just don’t absorb well into my skin. This one does indeed have a gel like consistency but if you massage it into the skin it melds in nicely and doesn’t leave a film like other brands. I’ve been alternating this with Kate Somerville Nourish, both of which are lightweight for warmer weather. Neither will get greasy but have enough for my normal-combination skin. They wear very well under foundation too. The Pore Perfecting Water Gel is also available in a mini travel size. I love the packaging, the pump and the way it feels on the skin. Huge thumbs up. It also helps to smooth out pores.
Aesop Parsley Seed Cleansing Mask remains my tried and true clarifying mask that is gentle, even when my skin has flare ups. It sucks up excess dirt and oil. I have finally lost count of how many tubes I’ve bought and used up.
Kate Somerville RetAsphere™ Micro Peel (c/o) is a leave-on treatment for night that helps with skin uneveness and really works to improve texture. It’s very gentle but I use it once a week. It’s a micro-peel that infuses skin with retinol with 10% glycolic acid and lactose to help resurface skin. Out of all the skincare lines I’ve tried, I feel that Kate Somerville has truly been one of the game changers for my skin as I transitioned from my 20’s to 30’s. During that transition I went through a lot of stress and my skin suffered a lot with texture issues and repeated break outs. While I’ve worked to manage the stress, finding the right skincare has played a major role in improving texture. I’ve tried so many lines and out of all the ones I have tried, Kate Somerville all around has worked the best for me. I don’t use a night treatment every night because I sometimes just want to let the skin breathe. The RetAsphere™ 2-in-1 Retinol Night Cream is one of the best most gentle yet effective night treatments I alternate with the Micro-Peel. The Micro-Peel makes the favorites list though because just using this once a week has improved my skin texture tremendously.

What are you loving right now? Do you have any favorites from the past month? As always I love reading about what you’ve tried, love and recommend. Even if something you tried hasn’t worked for you, I still love reading about those experiences as well. Are there any colors or collections you’ve been smitten with as we transition to fall beauty?

Press samples featured indicated with a “c/o”. As always all opinions my own.

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On My Radar Roundup

On My Radar / New In Beauty

August 15, 2016

Hope everyone had a great weekend! There are a few new launches on my radar plus some promos I wanted to share with you. Fall beauty and fragrance launches are trickling in and this year it seems like there are a few mini launches in between the larger full color collections.

Tom Ford Lip Contour Duos (1) have launched online at Tom Ford. You can see swatches on Really Ree’s blog and I think all the colors look phenomenal! At $53 each though I’m going to do my best and wait for them to launch at Nordstrom or Neimans to see in person first. I am hoping they will arrive soon as the Orchid Collection finally popped up online at Neiman Marcus for pre-order. (I have 2 items to review soon.)

Christian Louboutin just added two new colors to The Noirs Nail Color Line (2) in Miss Mars (gunmetal) and Miziggoo (vamp brown), available at Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Sephora and Christian Louboutin.

Marc Jacobs Beauty launched a new eyeshadow palette called Style Eye Con No. 20 (3) I ordered it last week and expect it to arrive today. Review as soon.

Maison Margiela added two new layering fragrances in mini-sized bottles called REPLICA Filter (4) in Glow and Blur. Right now they’re Sephora VIB/Rouge exclusives online and are expected to launch in September. I usually try before I buy when it comes to fragrance but given the fact that I’ve fallen in love with every one from the line I’ve tried, I may just make an exception. They are described as fragrance primers that you layer with scents from the regular collection.

More on the new fragrance launch, Elizabeth and James (5) added Nirvana Bourbon and Nirvana Rose. I’m surprised how many reviews there already are on Sephora considering these just launched. If you’ve tried these let me know what you think!

Just when I was ready to do a foundation and base routine post, new formulas popped up and many of you have asked me to review them. Chanel launched Le Teint Ultra Tenue in an Ultrawear Flawless Compact Foundation with SPF 15 (6) and liquid Ultrawear Flawelss Foundation (7). I have high hopes for both of these as I found the Les Beiges Healthy Glow Foundation from summer a huge disappointment.

NARS launched new shades of Audacious Lipstick (8) as part of their Chic Out Collection. Colors are currently exclusive to NARS online and boutiques starting today. Available at all counters starting September 1st.

Away Travel (9) has partnered with four other brands including Solid and Striped, Soludos, Serena and Lily and Ouai Haircare to upgrade your packing list. They’ve created a site for you to shop select travel items from each brand on packyourbag.co and offer free nationwide shipping. NYC customers can get the items delivered sameday via UberRUSH. This will be available until August 19th. They’re hosting some amazing giveaways (including a trip to Cuba) so be sure to check out their site Pack Your Bag and enter! As a huge fan of the Away carry-on luggage (reviewed here) I had to share.

Last but not least, Diptyque has added three items to their skincare line (10) including an Essential Face Cream, Nourishing Lip Balm and Infused Face Oil. My local boutique left me a message over the weekend about these so I’ll be checking them out soon. If you’re shopping online at Diptyque they have a promo code where you can get a set if Infused Facial Oil 4ml, Nourishing Cleansing Balm 5ml, and Infused Facial Water 15ml with any $150+ order using code FACECAREUS at checkout (valid while supplies last or until September 9th).

One last note since I just missed this – if you’re shopping online at Nordstrom there are a few sample gift with purchase bags with any $50 purchase but you need to add a promo code at checkout. I usually forget to check the gift with purchase page. Enter in PINK, ORANGE or BLUE – there are different options in each bag.

I’ll have one more post up this afternoon with a review so stay tuned!

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Lips Roundup

Favorite Luxury Lipstick Formulas

July 29, 2016

It’s National Lipstick Day today so I’m rounding up some of my favorite luxury lipstick formulas. I think everyone has their favorites – many of you want to know what I think the best ones are and as always, I have to say it depends! It depends on color preference, formula, finish, coverage and packaging. I gravitate towards neutrals and nudes, often times I have duplicates of the same color – but there are so many nuances in undertone, shimmer, finish I think often times they are different enough to justify owning. I’ve split mine into formula categories.

Best Full Coverage

Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche Lipstick (Sugarcane shown) is a full coverage super creamy lipstick, review and swatches on all the colors here, neutrals here, bright pinks here, neutral browns and peach here, corals/reds here, and purples here
Marc Jacobs Le Marc Lip Creme (No Angel and Sonic Truth Shown) since the initial launch there have been a few more shades added, you can see the original launch swatched here

Best Matte

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution (Very Victoria and Sexy Sienna shown) hands down best matte because it’s a luminous matte that also has a hydrating formula that won’t dry out the lips, swatches here and here

Favorite Classic Formulas

Edward Bess Ultra Slick Lip Color (Pure Impulse shown) my all time favorite in the top 3 lipstick formula, I will have a dedicated post swatching and reviewing all of his lipsticks soon, they are fig scented, creamy and just perfect in terms of pigment and coverage
Tom Ford Lip Colors (Guilty Pleasure shown) always a favorite, this is also in my top 3 for the ultimate luxury splurge, formulas have either a cream or shimmer finish, coverage is smooth with medium to full coverage, swatches here
Tom Ford Lips and Boys (Austin shown) perfect clutch-sized lip colors, multiple colors and shades reviewed and swatched here
Charlotte Tilbury K.I.S.S.I.N.G (Penelope Pink shown) review and swatches here and here
Chanel Rouge Coco (Marie shown) is a classic, they have a wide range of colors from neutral, pink, plum, reds and browns, eight shades reviewed + swatched here
MAC Lipstick (not shown but Sunblessed a Nordstrom exclusive featured in intro and final images) this has to be added to my favorites list because even though the formula makes my lips dry and peel a bit by day 2, I just can’t resist the classic and edgy colors, they wear really well all day long and I wear them frequently, I just have to add lip balm to my lips like crazy at night

Most Hydrating

Chanel Rouge Coco Stylo (Recit and Message shown) is the most hydrating and comfortable lipstick formula I’ve tried, I love the slim click up wand and the best thing about this one is it’s not just a one-way click (you can click it back down too), all the colors reviewed here

Best Sheer and Glossy Formulas

Louboutin Sheer Voile (Rose du Desert) is the most expensive lipstick on the market and comes with a hefty price tag, I will say that I don’t know that I think any lipstick is worth $90, but it doesn’t mean that I won’t buy one (or several), the Sheer Voile has a gorgeous glossy finish, it’s sheer but gives the lips a visible tint, review on these soon
Chanel Rouge Coco Shine (Boy shown) is what I think of as the epitome of classic beauty, Rouge Coco Shines have been a favorite for years, if you want a natural tint of effortless color, these are the way to go
YSL Rouge Volupte Shine (Shade 47 shown) are another favorite, they are similar to Rouge Coco Shines but the YSL is a bit more emollient and comes with a fruity mango scent (swatches of the latest Rouge Volupte Shine Oil in Stick eight shades here)

Best Liquid Lipstick Formulas

Too Faced Melted Chocolate are my favorites for liquid lipstick because these also have a chocolate scent! They come with a sponge tip applicator. Swatches of all the chocolate shades in this post here.
Anastasia Liquid Lipstick (Crush shown) come with a love-hate feeling from me. I love these because the color really does last all day long but I am not a fan of matte finish lipsticks. This one can be fixed by adding a bit of balm or clear gloss on top and then I have a lipstick that will last from morning to night and through snacks/lunch.
Chanel Rouge Double Intensite (shades shown Darling Pink, Bright Rose and Light Rose) is another one that will literally last all day on my lips. It’s a two step application process, first color, let dry, then top with the clear gloss on the other end. Bright Rose swatched here. Darling Pink is the best baby pink I’ve ever tried (I don’t think I’ve reviewed it) and Light Rose is a gorgeous pinky rose color too.
NARS Lip Cover (Get Dirty shown) is a liquid lipstick with a glossy finish. I have two shades in Get Dirty and Overheated. I believe these are limited-edition from summer, I hope NARS considers adding this formula to the permanent line because the formula is really really good. Both shades swatched on lips here.