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New From Saks: Laura Mercier Premier Beauty Collection

February 27, 2011

It’s that time of year when Laura Mercier releases several limited edition value sets at Nordstrom (here), Neimans (here) and Saks (here). Each store has their own special kit with exclusive items including a mix of full size products plus minis for $68. This year, the Saks Premiere Beauty Collection appealed most to me with the following items:

Brown zippered bag with a paisley lining
Full sized Tightline Cake Eye Liner in Ground Espresso
Full sized Lip Glacé in Pink Lilac (sheer milky lilac pink)
Eye Colour Duo in Dusk (shimmery pink-lilac) & Chocolate (shimmery brown)
Mini Black Full Blown Volume Lash Building Mascara
Double-Ended Pony Tail/Flat Eye Liner Brush

To break down the cost per full sized items: Liner $22 + Eyeshadow $22 + Lip Glacé $22 = $66. For the additional $2 you get a decent sampling of other items not to mention a nice travel brush (I’ve collected a number of mini brushes from LM sets over the years and rely on them when traveling).

I purchased this sight unseen online, mainly for the new Lip Gloss, Eyeshadow Duo & Brush. I plan on regifting the other items. I’ve had the Cake Eyeliners used on me on multiple Laura Mercier makeover events but I prefer pencil or gel liners to liquid or cake (so this item won’t be swatched). Dusk/Chocolate is a gorgeous combination – I already have Dusk in a mini sample size and like that it’s lilac and cool-toned but not too purple. I find that lilac/lavender eyeshadows can sometimes look dated.

Pink Lilac is beautiful in the tube but very sheer and practically invisible on the lips. I think it will make a good enhancing color for sheer pink and lilac colored lipsticks.

Overall a great value and nice combination of colors. I would have preferred something other than the cake liner since there is already a dark shadow (Chocolate) – like a blush or lipstick, but I know it will be easily regift-able. The lip gloss is pretty but sheer and light, perhaps it will show up better on girls with lighter lips or lighter skintones. I know I’ll get a lot of use with layering it, but I would have preferred more pigment and color. The set also comes with a mini instruction card but I found it very basic.

Have any of you checked out any of the Special Edition sets at Saks, Neimans or Nordstrom? Did any of you pick one up? Thoughts/rants/raves?

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Jo Malone Tea Fragrance Blends: Fresh & Light

February 24, 2011

Jo Malone has released a limited edition collection of five tea inspired colognes perfectly described as “tempting, refreshing and engagingly unexpected.” There are three tea inspired fragrances Assam & Grapefruit, Earl Grey & Cucumber and Fresh Mint Leaf ($55 each for 30 ml). The other two colognes Sweet Milk and Sweet Lemon are the layering scents designed to be spritzed and combined with the other tea fragrances to reflect the actual tea drinking experience. Each scent in this collection is amazingly delicious and I ended up with four of the five.

Assam & Grapefruit citrus grapefruit with a spicy herbal undertone, mate, cardamom, almond and patchouli: Reminiscent of the Lime Basil and Grapefruit scents because of the citrus undertone, but overall more spicy and herbal with a musty smell. One of the more complex scents in the tea collection, but still simple and pure.

Earl Grey & Cucumber top notes are bergamot with cucumber, vanilla & musk undertones: Earl Grey is actually one of my least favorite teas to drink simply because it reminds me of a flower. The scent of Earl Grey is very soothing and delicious, I just am not a fan of flowery teas. Put into a bottle combined with cucumber and a hint of vanilla translates into a fresh and light cologne. Those who are familiar with Aqua di Parma’s Mirto di Panarea Eau de Toilette is similar in undertone (the bergamot) however, the Jo Malone Earl Grey & Cucumber is a lighter, milder and less spicy and overall less complex version of the Aqua di Parma.

Sweet Milk creamy sweet blend of star anise, almond and vanilla: This smells like a scrumptious tea cookie. Sweet creamy vanilla scents are hit or miss for me. There’s something calming about milk based scents but sometimes on the skin the fragrance can turn once mixed with one’s natural body chemistry. The result is sometimes nauseating. At a first spritz of Sweet Milk on the small paper strip, I almost gagged. My Jo Malone rep assured me it was not as sweet on the skin and he was right. I layered this with the Earl Grey and it turned out to be a surprisingly nice combination. Still, I don’t think this scent is for everyone, if you get a chance to smell this, try this on the skin rather than just on the paper.

Sweet Lemon lemon, sugar, pineapple, peach and fresh green cypress: A fresh sweet lemony scent that smells like something picked fresh from a garden. The peach undertones evoke a slight pear-like scent (very slight). The cypress gives this a slightly earthy smell which prevents this from being overly citrus.

Fresh Mint was absolutely delicious but I simply couldn’t picture myself wearing the scent. I think it would have made a lovely candle. The intensity of these colognes is soft which, unfortunately, makes lasting power only about 4 hours. After 4 hours, I can still smell remnants of the cologne on my wrist, but it is significantly faded. Still, I prefer more natural scents. It would be great if these were upped in intensity a few notches to last longer, but I love each of these for their pure and simple quality. Other than the intensity, the only other things I wish were different: why limited edition and why not in other forms like candles, body creams, and bath gels?

Have you tried Jo Malone Colognes before? $55 for the amount seems extremely pricey, but the exquisite clean packaging along with the luxe boxes make these irresistible to at least pick up and try. Neiman Marcus currently has a gift with purchase instore and online. The top photo features two mini colognes in Grapefruit and Orange Blossom in a small leather case with a $150 purchase.

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Neutral & Bright: Zoya Naomi, Rescue Beauty Lounge Pink Shimmer, Chanel Enthusiast

February 21, 2011

Nails of the day (from Sunday):

On the fingers = 1 coat of Zoya Naomi + 1 coat of Rescue Beauty Lounge Pink Shimmer on top
On the toes = 2 coats of Chanel Enthusiast

Yesterday I featured Zoya Naomi and mentioned how I felt it was a bit too warm for my olive-beige skintone. I experimented layering different sheer and glittery shades on top to see what different effects I could make and decided adding a coat of a sheer white-opal-pink shimmer created a nice neutral. The winner was adding one coat of Rescue Beauty Lounge Pink Shimmer (previously reviewed here). Here is the final result:

I decided to go super bright on the toes with Chanel Enthusiast 377 (Part of the London Madness mini collection from Summer 2009 & a Neimans Exclusive). It was a limited edition shade but extremely close to Chanel Coromandel, previously reviewed here (scroll down for comparisons). The difference is that Enthusiast is more vibrant, more orange, and has no shimmer.

The mani & pedi combo:

L to R comparisons: Rescue Beauty Lounge Ani, Zoya Naomi, Rescue Beauty Lounge Pink Shimmer, the mixed shades, Chanel Enthusiast, Chanel Dragon, Chanel Coromandel

I sometimes get off the wall comments – just an FYI, I’m in Southern California where wearing sandals this time of year is do-able. We’ve had on and off rain, but the sun peeked out enough for me to slip on the flip flops and not freeze my toes off.

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Trying Out A Few New Nudes: MAC, Burberry & Zoya

February 21, 2011

I’m always looking for that perfect shade of nude even though I have quite a few favorites (Chanel Mythic & Luminous, Bobbi Brown Beige Gold, MAC High Tea). Everyone has a different interpretation of what they see as a true nude (see an older post here, What’s Your Definition of Nude?) – for me a true nude is something flesh colored. Light nude beiges don’t always work for me, many require tweaking with layering of extra gloss or liner (what I call my high maintenance nudes). Sometimes there are nude colors that are simply too neutral or beige and end up washing me out, but my curiosity always gets the best of me, I can’t help but check out every variation of beige.

A few new discoveries, thoughts, and swatches: MAC Viva Glam Gaga 2 Lipstick & Lipglass, Zoya Naomi Nail Polish, Burberry Trench Eyeshadow, MAC Gana Blush (from the Mickey Contractor collection).

First up are the newest additions to the MAC Viva Glam series: Gaga 2 Lipstick and Lipglass. Both are creamy neutral grey-beiges in the tubes but go on with a slightly peachy cast on the skin. These are true nudes, both of which I find fall under my “high maintenance” nudes category. The Gaga 2 Lipstick resembles concealer on my lips. It has full coverage (the amplified formula) with rich and creamy texture. Having tried other MAC nudes like Cherish, Creme d’Nude and Peachstock, I know this one will work better once layered over a darker liner (and blended of course) like MAC Stripdown and then topped with clear lipglass. I’ve swatched it alone below. Thumbs down by itself – the color just makes my skin look dirty and I look lifeless. Gaga 2 Lipglass is the exact same shade of nude, it’s not quite as flat and has the tiniest bit of sparkle in the tube. The shimmer doesn’t show up on the lips. For some reason the glossy texture makes it more forgiving on the lips. Thumbs up for this one! It’s a wearable nude, but I think MAC Revealing Lipglass is a more universally flattering beige nude. This one is also featured below alone (no lipstick or liner underneath).

In direct sunlight:

Zoya Naomi is an opalescent beige with a soft silver sheen. I ordered this from Zoya.com sight unseen along with a few of the Zoya Spoons. I haven’t tried too many Zoya Nail Polishes yet, but so far I’ve been extremely pleased with the finish, pigment and wearability of the colors. However, my experience with the Zoya neutrals is similar to my experience with Essie neutrals – what you see in the bottle doesn’t always translate to what you get on the fingers. In this case, I found Zoya Naomi a bit too warm for my beige skintone. I had to tweak it with a layer of a sheer silvery pink to get it to work. (Stay tuned for tomorrow’s post to see what I used.) Lovely color with 2 coats, just needed a slight change for my own liking.

Burberry Trench Eyeshadow is one of the best nudes I have ever tried. It’s deceptively boring and dull looking in the pan and swatched on my fingers, but it has a soft velvety texture that brightens and evens out the eye lids with a subtle luminescence. I love it. This isn’t entirely new (bought it back in late August in San Francisco’s Nordstrom) but I haven’t gotten around to reviewing it. I really love Burberry’s soft eyeshadows. I can’t wait for them to release more colors.

Burberry Trench finger swatched (on the hands it just melts/blends):

MAC Gana Frost Blush from the Mickey Contractor Collection was exclusive to select MAC Pro Stores and online. It’s a soft champagne grey pink shimmer powder that looks pretty on the eyes and as a highlighter on the temples. I don’t know if it’s still available or easy to find. It’s the closest thing I’ve found to Estee Lauder’s Tom Pecheux Highlighter (reviewed here) but with a pinkish/grey sheen. Those who can’t find it and want something similar that you can still find, MAC’s Beauty Powder in Play it Proper similar in effect.

Gana Swatched on bare skin:

All the new nudes swatched on arm, two views:

Have you tried any of these nudes I just reviewed? What are your thoughts if you have tried them? I’m especially interested to hear your thoughts on the Viva Glam Gaga 2 Lipstick and Lipglass – how are you making these work for you?

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My Must-Have Eye Brushes

February 18, 2011

I’ve accumulated so many brushes over the years from dozens of different brands, I’m embarrassed to admit just how many I have. Finding the right tools are essential for good makeup application – I’ve played with each and every brush using them for practically every type of powder or cream, experimenting with different textured products, trying different application techniques, testing out different angles & applying different pressure. When I first started blogging I did a comprehensive post on all the brushes I own by type. I’ve linked it here Beauty Tools & Essentials: Eye Brushes for your reference.

The brushes listed below are my go-to brushes that I love so much I have multiples of these. Some have lasted me over 10 years now. I wash mine with Neutrogena’s Body Wash as needed. Probably about once every couple of weeks to once a month. Note I do not have a crease so I don’t typically use brushes specifically for the crease or outer V.

I personally prefer full sized brushes with longer handles because they are easier to hold in the hands while applying and they are easier to store. For short-handled travel brushes, I’ve accumulated a number from different sets but have never found the perfect travel brush set. I usually tend to avoid those brush sets simply because I find the quality to be poor. Laura Mercier seems to be the exception and has the best ones I’ve tried and I love her mini brushes that come with special sets or palettes.

1. Stila #4 Precision Eye Liner Brush $20 – this one has lasted me since my senior year in high school, soft but precise for layering dark shadows over a pencil or gel liner

2. Laura Mercier Smudge Brush $24 – small dense smudge brush with a fine point at the tip, good for getting into those corners or detail areas, extremely versatile for powders & creams, I like that it’s dense but soft and easy on my sensitive eyes, great for smudging liner for a soft blended look

3. Becca Brush #11 – now discontinued, similar in shape to MAC 242 – this is my perfect brush for cream eyeshadow

4. MAC 224 Tapered Blending Brush $29 – soft loose and fluffy, best for a super sheer wash of color and good for blending colors

5. MAC 219 Pencil Brush $24.50 – small pointy and dense, good for a smokey eye and getting to corners for detailing along bottom lashes

6. MAC 217 Blending Brush $22.50 – one of my most favorite brushes ever, super soft and versatile, great for blending and layering, love that it’s big enough to cover a big portion of the eye but small enough to control color where you want it, definitely a must have in every collection

7. MAC 239 Eye Shader Brush $24.50 – another favorite, this is the best brush to pack on color by patting or sweeping, picks up product well and allows control depending on how much product you have on your brush and the pressure you use to apply powders on the lids, if you use it sideways (versus flat) you can use it to get a smudgey line, another great versatile brush, blends colors well

8. MAC 242 Shader Brush $24.50 – I like this for cream shadows that I don’t want all over the lid, the small size allows thicker more pigmented application, I’ve used this for smudging gel liners, it also works for powders too, but I mostly use this for creams

9. Bobbi Brown Ultra Fine Eyeliner Brush $25 – no comparison for gel liners, this is the best one I’ve tried, the tiny tip allows for a precise application even for those with unsteady hands

10. Bobbi Brown Eye Liner Brush $25 – another great option for powder eye liners and precise application with one sweep, I don’t like angled liner brushes because I find the tips too wide and harsh for my eyes, this one from Bobbi Brown is stiff but gentle

11. Trish McEvoy #21 Large Laydown $53 – pricey and a total splurge but well worth the price, love this for both powders and creams
12. MAC 227 Large Fluff Brush $30 – a great all over fluff brush that is densely packed but allows for an even wash of color all over the eyes with one sweep

Detailed close ups:

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Estée Lauder Wild Storm Nail Lacquer

February 16, 2011

I couldn’t resist the stormy steel blue grey shimmer from Estée Lauder’s Spring 2011 collection. I picked up Wild Storm ($19) the day it was released instore at Nordstrom about one month ago. Most of you have probably had a chance to test it out or see it in person by now. I haven’t tried many nail polishes by Estée Lauder but have been impressed by the ones I had tried to date. Wild Storm however was a bit of a disappointment for me. The silver shimmer left it looking a bit dull even with a shiny top coat. It’s a pretty color but just lacked luster for me. The wear was ok with no chips, but it wore down on the tips of the nails very fast, much to my disappointment (by the end of the day I saw visible tip wear). I have tried it three times (two manicures and one pedicure) with different top coats but all applications had the same dull finish. That being said, my hair dresser loved it when she saw it on me. Perhaps it will be something I’ll like later on in the season, this spring I think I have just been so completely smitten with Chanel Black Pearl, it’s hard for other darker shimmers to live up to it (for me).

Still the product is good for the price. Application is smooth with 2 coats. The texture is easy to apply and layer for intensity. The color is listed as Limited Edition for Spring 2011.

Overall – pretty, but not really my favorite for nails. I prefer this color for eyeshadows like these from MAC, NARS, Urban Decay and Paul & Joe (picture taken for Josie months ago). But who knows what my mood will be like 6 months from now. (My nail polish preferences are highly dependent on mood.)

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Loving Right Now

February 14, 2011

Happy Valentine’s Day! What are you loving right now? For me …

Chanel Rose Insolent Le Vernis (previously reviewed here)

Felix Doolittle Stationary – The most charming & delightful illustrations ever! I discovered Felix Doolittle when my sister gave me and my husband personalized mailing labels as a wedding present even though we never had a formal wedding. The Heart Candy sets make a perfect gift this Valentine’s Day for loved ones (I gave my husband the Love Bug magnet and he loves it!!!)

NARS Velvet Gloss Pencils – all of them (all lip swatched just a few days ago)

Edward Bess Soft Smoke Trio – looks boring in the compact but it’s magical on the eyes, absolute smokey eye perfection, there is no other black/grey/cream palette that works like this one