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Burberry Spring-Summer 2012 Picks

January 3, 2012

Burberry’s Spring-Summer for 2012 has just hit counters at select Nordstrom stores. To date, Burberry is limited to Nordstrom.com and only a handful of Nordstrom counters like South Coast Plaza, San Francisco & Chicago to name a few. Like many of my readers, I do not have easy access to Burberry Beauty so I rely on blog posts and tweets from my fellow bloggers to be my eyes and ears for the latest. Without them I would have no idea what to expect, although these days promotional stock/web photos are improving. My go-to resources for Burberry Spring include the following:
  • The full lineup is listed on Rouge Deluxe 
  • Pretty Addicted has featured her picks on her blog
  • Many thanks to Café Makeup for taking a few moments from her busy schedule to let me know the collection arrived at Nordstrom San Francisco (I called and ordered and I’m thrilled!)
  • Lipstick photos for spring were tweeted by @Nordstrombeauty which you can see here
  • NaturalNChicMakeup swatched all items on her hand
The collection has a mixture of neutrals and brights for lipsticks and glosses along with a neutral shimmery trench-coat color eyeshadow. The look is fresh but natural for this season. I don’t have the breakdown for the look but my guess is that the model appears to be wearing Devon Sunset Lipstick with Blossom Blush. {Via Nordstrom.com}

I ordered from the San Francisco Nordstrom store. All my experiences have been absolutely phenomenal. I really appreciate how well-trained and knowledgeable the Burberry artists are. They know their colors well and have always been able to help with comparisons in their own line. They also give excellent advice on how to coordinate colors. My picks: Pale Barley No. 22 Eyeshadow, Tulip Pink No. 27 Lipstick, Devon Sunset No. 28 Lipstick, Hibiscus No. 13 Lipgloss & Nude Rose No. 14 Lipgloss.

Swatches to come soon. I’ve only played with Pale Barley Eyeshadow and the Tulip Pink Lipstick so far but initial impressions are a huge thumbs up. The quality of Burberry’s eyeshadows is excellent with a buttery soft blendable texture that melts into the skin. Please hold your questions until I post individual reviews – I will say that Pale Barley is different from anything else in the Burberry Eyeshadow Collection. It looks similar to Gold Trench in the photos but it’s quite different when put together side by side.

Burberry Beauty is available in the US at a few select Nordstrom locations. The counters I know of include South Coast Plaza, San Francisco, Bellevue and Chicago. I believe there may be a few more. The entire collection is also available online at Nordstrom.com.
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Bobbi Brown Neon & Nudes Blushes for Spring 2012: Nude Peach and Nude Pink

January 1, 2012

This spring, Bobbi Brown has a created new twist on her classic nudes with a Neon & Nudes collection. Her spring color palette has a mixture of nudes with shocking brights. I of course was drawn to her nudes: the eye palette and blushes. I found the new Ultra Nude Eyeshadow Palette was very tempting. The colors seem goof-proof, naturally flattering and perfect for everyday wear. I was particularly impressed by the dual-ended brush. One side is angled and very dense and seemed to be of extremely good quality (an improvement in my opinion, the brushes in her palettes are hit or miss). However, given my recent purchases of Urban Decay Naked 2 and Burberry Pale Barley Eyeshadow, I decided to pass for now. I left the counter with her two new blushes in Nude Peach and Nude Pink. (Swatches of the entire collection is featured on Yuki’s Lazy Channel.)
Nude Peach and Nude Pink ($24 each) are gorgeous classic neutrals true to Bobbi Brown’s style. Nude Peach is a soft peach with a hint of shimmer (although I can’t see any shimmer once applied on the skin). Nude Pink is a soft cool matte pale pink. Both colors fill in gaps in her current blush lineup for lighter neutrals. At the counter they swatched on the hand light, but do not let this deter you from trying them on the face. A good blush brush picks up the powder (which is easy to blend) to apply decent pigment to the face with just two swipes. Today I’ve layered the peach on top of the pink although you can wear both alone for a soft natural cheek. I was very pleased with the pigment and the colors do show up well on the skin.

Since neutral peaches and pinks are basic staples I’m sure there are dupes. I couldn’t find any among my MAC, Chanel, Burberry, Armani or Bobbi Brown shades (the blushes I use the most), but I didn’t spend a lot of time searching. I pulled a few other shades to compare for you though. Still I find these naturally flattering and light enough that they don’t pull brown from darkening as your skin warms up. I adore Bobbi Brown’s blushes but I find some of her neutrals with brownish tones like Slopes and Tawny darken on my skin and end up looking harsh when I’m paler.

Overall thoughts: Fresh and brightening and perfect for spring. Nude Peach and Nude Pink are colors that I envision will be very easy to incorporate into any look as they will naturally enhance your complexion to brighten the face and not overpower dramatic eyes or lips.
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Wearing Tomorrow for New Year’s Eve

December 30, 2011

Many have asked me to share what I’ll be wearing for New Year’s Eve. I’m still working on the outfit but I’ve already planned the makeup look. Here’s my first Polyvore attempt (not sure if I pulled in all the right items for the above photos, but the look is detailed below):
  • Dolce & Gabbana Perfect Creamy Foundation in Natural Beige 120 mixed with a pale highlighter
  • Chanel Poudre Universelle Compacte in Rose Merveille 120 dusted all over
  • Armani Sheer Blush #10
  • Armani Jacquard Face Palette to highlight
  • Laura Mercier Metallic Crème Eye Colour in Gold
  • Chanel Beige Lamé 417 Soft Touch Eyeshadow
  • Armani Eyes to Kill #6 Khaki Pulse
  • NARS Larger than Life Volumizing Mascara
  • Bobbi Brown Gel Liner Caviar Ink
  • Armani Gloss d’Armani Pink 502 + 507 mixed
  • Chanel Black Pearl #513 Le Vernis
  • L’Artisan Mûre et Musc
I’ll be offline for a few days but I’ll be checking in here and there to publish comments/questions via my iPhone. I’m running out the door right now to get a Black Pearl manicure 🙂 Toes will be covered so I’m passing on the pedicure this week. I wish everyone a Happy New Year!

What will you be wearing tomorrow night?

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Chanel Spring 2012 Lipstick Picks: Flirt, Candeur, Charme & Superstition

December 29, 2011

This year Chanel’s spring collection includes four Rouge Coco lipsticks (three new, one repromote), two new Rouge Coco Shines and one hydrating lip balm. When I placed my order over the phone I had not yet seen anything in person. I picked out four items based on descriptions given to me and ended up with both of the new Rouge Coco Shine Lipsticks in Flirt and Candeur and two Rouge Cocos Charme and Superstition.

Flirt Rouge Coco Shine #69 is a bright but soft creamy peach. It looks bright in the tube but the sheerness of the color makes it go on softer than what you see in the tube. Compared to Misia #45 (a Neimans Exclusive from last April), Flirt is very similar but softer, milkier and creamier in color. The texture is smooth and moisturizing like all other Rouge Coco Shines. Lasting power is average for your typical sheer/glossy lipstick but Flirt is very pretty on the lips and brightens the face.

Candeur Rouge Coco Shine #68 is a soft pale pink and almost looks faded in the tube. There is a very very slight hint of sparkle. You can only see it when you hold it at an angle, on my lips it applies more like a sheer cream. It does show up on my lips but the contrast made it appear a bit streaky. I found it similar in paleness/sheerness to Royallieu which was released back in June. I prefer Royallieu.

Charme Rouge Coco #40 is a gorgeous cool-toned pink rose shimmer. I thought it looked fairly unique compared to Chanel’s other Rouge Cocos in Camelia (more warm), Gardenia (more peach), Legende (significantly cooler) and Magnolia (has gold flecks), but when swatched on the arm and lips, I found the effect very similar to Magnolia. Charme is one of those colors that turns slightly fuschia on my lips (much like Magnolia does (reviewed here). I think Charme is slightly deeper with a hint more shimmer that is evenly dispersed. Magnolia is a bit brighter with a creamier base and gold flecks that make it slightly textured. For me Charme will require lots of tweaking to prevent it from turning fuschia/blue.

Superstition Rouge Coco #38 is a breathtaking nude gold shimmer. There’s a hint of peach and pink in the base to prevent it from looking too pale. Long-time Chanel fans might remember Baby Gold Hydrabase Lipstick. Superstition reminds me of less pale version of Baby Gold. Superstition is semi-sheer which allows your natural lip color to show through. I adore it. I think it will be stunning when topped with any sheer gloss.

Swatch comparisons for Flirt and Candeur Rouge Coco Shines – they’re all very sheer so the swatches aren’t showing up very well:

Swatch comparisons for Charme and Superstition Rouge Cocos, all swatched with a light hand:

I think Chanel released some beautiful colors for lips this season but for me they lacked that wow-factor. My top two picks are Flirt Rouge Coco Shine (the peach) and Superstition Rouge Coco (beige gold), but I don’t see them as being very unique. Next season I will wait to see everything in person or wait for other bloggers to compare the releases before buying.
Did you pick up any lip items from Chanel spring? What were your thoughts?
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L’Artisan Holiday Trio: Nuit de Tubéreuse, Mûre et Musc & La Chasse Aux Papillons

December 26, 2011

L’Artisan was on my Christmas wishlist and I was thrilled to be gifted the beautiful Feminine Parfum Set with Nuit de Tubéreuse (EDP), Mûre et Musc and La Chasse Aux Papillons ($98 from ArtisanParfumeur.com). I have always admired the beautiful L’Artisan bottles and frequently stopped by the counter back when the line used to be carried at Saks (years ago). Being overwhelmed by fragrance in general, I never really looked into the line, or any other fragrance line for that matter. In the past couple years I’ve stuck with Jo Malone as a safety finding the line to be clean, simple and classic. It wasn’t until a recent shopping trip to Barneys that I started to look more into L’Artisan, Serge Lutens, Byredo among other beautiful lines (but oh, so hard-to-find, at least for me). I’m slowly but surely expanding my fragrance collection. I couldn’t be more thrilled with this gorgeous little trio as my introduction to L’Artisan. The three scents in beautiful miniature vials 15 ml each:

The exquisite box:

Each bottle is quite small with only 15ml in each vial but they are perfect for testing each fragrance and ideal for travel. For size reference, all three will fit into the palm of my hand. I am hoping they are refillable.

Initial thoughts and reviews on each scent:

Nuit de Tubéreuse is an Eau de Parfum and noticeably more concentrated than the other two. At first spritz this was my least favorite – it opened with an overwhelmingly strong powdery-incense-mixed scent. It reminded me of the smell that surrounds you when you first walk into a Lush Store (which I like, but not in the overwhelming sense). After a few minutes, it dried down and turned less powdery and became a bit more sweet with more noticeable notes of tuberose. It has a romantic feel and although not something I would normally be drawn to, it’s growing on me and smells divine.

The notes: cardamom, clove, pink pepper, black pepper, citrus, green mango, angelica, tuberose, orange blossom, ylang-ylang, rose, broom, musks, vanilla, sandalwood, palisander, benzoin and styrax.

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Mûre et Musc in this trio comes in the Eau de Toilette. This is our favorite pick as the most youthful and light. I normally do not like berry-scented fragrances. I found most variations of Trish No. 9 and Philosophy Falling in Love to be nice on others, but too sweet, cloying and headache-inducing on me. (My mother and sister always hated this when I sprayed it on at counters.) L’Artisan Mûre et Musc is a wearable fruity scent. It’s been on my radar for several months now ever since I smelled it on one of my friends LJ. It smells amazing on her and I am thrilled to find that it works well with my chemistry as well, although it smells sweeter on my skin than hers. It’s clean, bright and fresh. Lasting power is medium but I love the way it smells as it fades. I need a full-sized bottle of this one.


The notes: wild blackberry, musk, citrus

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La Chasse Aux Papillons is another beautiful light and airy floral. It’s the perfect mixture of orange blossom and tuberose with a hint of jasmine. This one turns slightly more floral as it dries on my skin. Right now I think it’s a bit too light for right now but will be perfect in a few months time. It smells like a spring garden, more floral and green compared to Jo Malone’s Wild Bluebell (which is slightly sweeter with a hint of spice).
The notes: Notes of tuberose, orange blossom and spices.

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A few snapshots of my perfumes all lined up … my collection is growing at an exponential rate:

Bottom line: My next trip to Barneys can’t come soon enough. I already want a full bottle of Mûre et Musc. All three are exquisite and given the fact that a 50 ml bottle of the L’Artisan Eau de Toilettes starts at $100, I think the $98 for 45 ml is a reasonable price (even though this was a gift). My husband purchased this set directly from L’Artisan online but the set is also available on Barneys online.
A few resources for L’Artisan reviews that I found extremely helpful: The Non-Blonde, The Notice, Lucky Scent reviews. What are you favorites from L’Artisan? The descriptions and reviews for Mimosa Por Moi sound absolutely delicious but I wonder if it’s too sweet?
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Loving Right Now

December 23, 2011

I hope everyone is well and ready for Christmas & the holidays! It’s been a crazy busy few weeks and I’m looking forward to having time off starting today 🙂 What are you loving right now? Things that make me happy right now:
  • NARS Larger Than Life Volumizing Mascara – thickens, holds curls & doesn’t flake (reviewed back in 2010 here)
  • Glitter Nail Polish – Butter London Tart With a Heart & Deborah Lippmann Stairway to Heaven (yes, it’s a shocker, but these looked so lovely on Lilly Chantilly & Messy Wands I had to check these out)
  • Mini Brushes – Laura Mercier hands down makes the best minis in sets and palettes, I like them more than her full sized versions, Le Métier and MAC have some lovely options too
  • Bond No 9 Bon Bon Set – My husband and I are going to work our way through each one
  • Lanvin Flats – My first pair in taupe, so comfortable!
  • Le Métier de Beauté Antiquité Poupée – even with the dupes, I can’t deny the colors in this palette are so lovely
  • Clé de Peau Intensive Eye Contour Cream (courtesy of Neiman Marcus and Clé de Peau) I never believed in Eye Cream until this winter, the dry weather & long work hours have been harsh on my skin, this has been a miracle worker
  • Henri Bendel Candles – Among my favorites, especially the new Silver Birch! Other favorites include Vanilla Bean, Firewood, Fig, Quince, Pomegranate … I could go on and on!
  • Nude Nail Polish – Hard to tell the color from the instagram filter, but it was Chanel Beige Petale
  • Chanel Rouge Coco Shines – Being short on time and always on the go, Chanel Rouge Coco Shines are those easy swipe-and-go lipsticks that don’t require a mirror, the sheer glossy finish makes fading less obvious because it fades naturally
  • Jo Malone Wild Bluebell – This is more appropriate for spring, but it lifts the mood and brightens my day, I’ve splurged on the shower gel, candle and cologne (reviewed here)
  • Edward Bess Afterglow Cream Highlighter – Another lifesaver, the perfect cream highlighter to brighten and illuminate without being overly frosty or greasy (previously reviewed here)
  • Chanel Wallet on Chains – Love these when I just need cards, keys, cash and one lipstick
  • Urban Decay Naked 2 – Yes, this is an amazing palette! Very similar to the first Naked but a definite must for any neutral-lover, the layering possibilities are endless
  • Chanel Le Vernis – Of course, always on my list of loving right now
  • Nespresso Pixie & Aeroccino Plus – The best part of every morning and much more affordable compared to Starbucks, wish I could put one at my desk at work but it would make me way too popular & I would never get anything done
I want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday! Thank you everyone so much for your support! I’ve been so touched by everyone’s kindness this past year and week after week I’m amazed you still come back to read my blog. Thank you again 🙂
Is there anything you are loving right now? I’m all ears! Beauty and non-beauty related!
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