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Chanel Fall 2015 Stylo Yeux in Ardent, Érable and Pomme de Pin

August 25, 2015

For fall Chanel has four new Stylo Yeux Waterproof Eyeliners ($32 each) in Ardent, Érable, Feuilles and Pomme de Pin. I picked up four at my local counter but when I got home realized one was the wrong color (it was one of the older shades) so I have three of the four shades swatched. The three new fall colors I have are Ardent which is a shimmering copper, Érable a shimmering khaki taupe and Pomme de Pin a glossy brown-black. All are permanent with the exception of Ardent which is limited-edition. The Stylo Yeux pencils seem to have improved drastically with this release. I’m not sure if all pencils are like this, but the new ones are super creamy and glide on the lids without any tugging. Previous releases are hit or miss with the formula. Some drag a little while others are more emollient. All three in the fall collection have intense pigment and apply easily on the eyes. They are creamy but set within a few minutes. As with my experience wearing all other Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof pencils, they last all day without smudging or fading. I give all three a huge thumbs up. I wish they would make the colors into cream shadows because they are just so pretty.

The three fall shades I came home with shown below in Pomme de Pin 921, Ardent 918 and Érable 919, plus a repromote in Ardoise 912. At the counter the rep went by number when she was pulling the colors, she must have confused 912 and 914. I don’t blame her – I get confused by the numbering system all the time.

Close up photo plus swatches:

Comparison swatches below:

Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof in Khaki Preciuex
Burberry Effortless Kohl in Storm Grey (c/o)

Bottom line all three are winners. Since the formula has improved so much I need to investigate some other existing colors as my Black Shimmer and Ebene seem to have dried up and are tugging at my eyes when I use them. I would have thought Pomme de Pin to be a basic black color but I like that it has some brown undertone to prevent it from looking harsh on my eyes. Ardent is pure love – I like to smudge it upwards with the fingers on the lids as a cream shadow. Erable is beyond gorgeous. I need it in a powder shadow form.

Have you checked out Chanel fall? Did you pick up any of the eye products? I passed on the Illusion D’Ombres. I picked up the quad but haven’t touched it yet – I can’t decide whether or not I can do the khaki colors. I’ll have a review of the 5-pan palette up soon. I’ve been playing with it and am head over heels in love with it. I may need a backup. If you’ve seen/tried it let me know if you think Feuilles is a must-have and I might go back to check it out.

You can find the Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof pencils at all Chanel counters now. Online at Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Chanel.com and all other Chanel retailers.

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Chanel Collection Automnales La Base Coat, Le Top Coat and new Le Vernis in Châtaigne, Écorce Sanguine and Vert Obscur

August 25, 2015

This fall Chanel has released a host of new products and colors for nails. There are three new limited-edition Le Vernis Nail Colours in Châtaigne, Écorce Sanguine and Vert Obscur ($27 each for 13 ml / 0.4 fl oz). In addition there is a new La Base Coat, Le Top Coat and a Le Top Coat Velvet (all $27 each). I’ve been playing with these for several weeks – each year it seems as though fall collections arrive earlier and earlier. I’m still in summer mode so I’ve been loving brighter colors but the new shades for fall do not disappoint.

I have a preliminary review on the new base and top coat after testing it with Chanel, Dior and Tom Ford nail polishes (I did skip the velvet version). I tried the original base coat and was never a fan. I found it didn’t go on the nails smoothly and it made nail polishes of all brands drag unevenly along the nail. The new La Base Coat has improved tremendously in terms of how it glides onto the nails. It’s supposed to be a protective and smoothing base with a soft pink tint to even out the nail tone. I find the pink tone does give the nails a very soft even look, but if you wear opaque polishes it doesn’t make a difference. The Chanel Base + Chanel Color combination = pure love. I found that it didn’t perform so well with Dior or Tom Ford – the color drags and you need a slightly thicker coat of color to get an even application. I prefer base the Formula X Base Coat and CND Sticky Base Coat by far in terms of how it performs with a variety of brands.

The new Le Top Coat is a quick dry high shine top coat. I’m a huge fan of the original Laque Brilliance Extreme Top Coat and after testing the new one, I have to say I still prefer the original version by far. I really hope it’s here to stay and that Chanel did not create a new one to replace it, however the original one is now gone from Chanel.com so I will have to stock up. The new Le Top Coat has a thinner more liquidy finish compared to the original. There was a slight learning curve for me to figure out exactly how much to load up on the brush. Too much resulted in it pooling in the cuticles. Too little caused streaking. That being said – once I got the hang of it, I found it was really nice how quickly it dried. It left the nails with a glossy finish, but the original had a more cushiony glossy shine. It works well with multiple brands and there is no shrinkage around the edges if I use it with Dior or Tom Ford. It did help my manicure last without tip wear for 5 days. I found the original version better with manicures lasting up to 7 days without chipping or tip wear.

Onto the colors for fall: Châtaigne is a brown plum vamp cream, Écorce Sanguine is a stunning deep red with the almost-invisible gold shimmer and Vert Obscur is a jelly forest green. I love a good vamp, Châtaigne goes on smoothly without any issues. Two coats will cover the nail entirely. There is a brownish base that prevents it from looking pure black on the hands. It’s still very dark.

Écorce Sanguine is a very special red. In my mind Chanel can do no wrong with reds. Last holiday they released too many similar reds, but this one for fall is deep and bright at the same time. It’s a classic color that doesn’t age the hands or darken. I own way too many reds already but this one has phenomenal coverage. One coat is enough to cover the nail entirely. I always prefer at least 2 coats though. Be sure to check out the swatches on Café Makeup – she captures the shimmer perfectly!

Vert Obscur is the color I was most excited about but ended up being slightly disappointed with it. It’s a gorgeous dark forest green in the bottle. The formula is a bit blotchy with the first coat. It will leave the nail looking streaky. Two to three coats fixes it and it looks better with extra coats, but on the nails it’s so dark it almost looks black. I would have liked it to be a bit brighter or have the green more visible.

Comparisons:

Dior Nuit 1947 (reviewed here)
Louboutin Sevillana
Tom Ford Bitter Bitch
Tom Ford Black Cherry (review here)
Chanel Vamp (swatched here)
Chanel Forbidden (discontinued), Rouge Fatal (discontinued)
Chanel Cinema (swatched here)
Marc Jacobs Jezebel
Tom Ford Black Jade (swatches here)
Louboutin Lady Twist (swatched here)
Burberry Dark Bottle Green (reviewed here)
Rescue Beauty Lounge Small Dim Summer Stars (swatches here)

Overall thoughts on the new Base and Top coat are that I’m undecided. I like they way they perform with Chanel nail polishes, but I was so in love with the original top coat. I think I just need to test them out more. For the new fall colors, I think all three are really gorgeous – I think the red Écorce Sanguine is absolutely stunning but you can get something very similar although most won’t have that gorgeous gold shimmer. I can’t say the other two are must-haves – there are just so many similar colors to Châtaigne and Vert Obscur is so dark it looks black on my hands. Perhaps once the actual fall season rolls around I’ll be more into these colors. I do think they are nice to have – as a die hard Chanel collector, I had to add them to my collection, but I can’t call them must-haves. Right now I have my eye on the Rouge Noir collections coming out, preliminary details and sneak peeks via Specktra.net. The colors look amazing for late fall/holiday collections.

All three Le Vernis colors for fall are limited-edition. The new La Base and Le Top Coats are here to stay. You can find them at all Chanel counters now. Online at Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman and Chanel.com.

Did you try any of the new fall colors? What did you think?

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Birchbox Pop-Up Los Angeles, August 2015

August 24, 2015

This summer Birchbox has taken a road trip to three cities across the U.S. all the way from New York. They just had a couple of events in Chicago and Atlanta and I’m excited to share that their final stop this summer will be at The Grove, Los Angeles this Friday August 28th to Sunday August 30th! You can stop by to build your own box, shop full-sized products, get your nails done and more (check out Birchbox.com/RoadTrip for all the details).

https://www.birchbox.com/roadtrip

The pop-up will be open the following dates and times:

Location:

The Grove, 189 The Grove Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90036


Times:

Friday, August 28, 12 p.m. – 6 p.m.

Saturday, August 29, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Sunday, August 30, 12 p.m. – 6 p.m.

Here’s a sneak peek at some of the full-sized items that will be available at the pop-up this weekend. They will have a wide variety of beauty products to choose from in makeup, haircare, skincare and men’s grooming products. Brands include Supergoop!, Stila, Dr. Jart, Laura Gellar, R+Co, Smith & Cult, Smashbox, Coola, Marcelle, W3ll People, LAQA&Co. and more. I’m personally most excited about building my own box at the event. You can get a preview of the fun activities they have in store by checking out pictures from the past two pop-ups by searching #birchboxinmycity via Instagram.

More details to follow via my Instagram feed @beautylookbook so stay tuned! (I’ve also teamed up with Birchbox for an Instagram giveaway later this week so be sure to follow me for more details.) I’ll be attending all three days – if you’re in the area I would love to meet you! For the latest and most up-to-date information on events be sure to follow @birchbox via Instagram or search #birchboxinmycity or #birchboxmaninmycity. All the event details and schedule are online here at Birchbox Road Trip.

Will you be attending the pop-up this weekend? Let me know if you’re going to stop by! 

P.S. There will be a special all weekend long 12 p.m. – 3 p.m. where you can get free Sprinkles ice cream with any purchase!

Created in partnership with Birchbox. 

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Summer Beauty Pick-Me-Ups

August 19, 2015

Ulta Beauty is turning 25 today and to celebrate their birthday they have 25 online beauty deals with free shipping on orders of $25 or more. Ulta Beauty is a regular stop for me for beauty staples, especially for nail care. My go-to products are the CND Stickey Base Coat, Super Shiny Top Coat, Butter London Nail Scrubbers and the Tweezerman Pushy Nail Cleaner. I’ve teamed up with them to share some beauty pick-me-ups from a recent store visit. If you haven’t been to an Ulta Beauty store recently you will be amazed at the selection they have today – the lineup of products has expanded so you will find a wide range of items with a mix of drugstore and mid-end brands all in one store. If you’re in need of something new in beauty but aren’t sure what to look for, Ulta is a nice place to shop at your own leisure and browse without feeling any pressure to buy. I always discover something new.

Up first is the Mario Badescu Skin Care Facial Spray. It has aloe, herbs and rosewater and with a super relaxing lightweight scent. It’s one of the most affordable facial sprays I’ve tried and I think it’s highly under-rated. It hydrates the skin with a superfine mist. I like that it’s truly refreshing without that heavy feel.

Nude clutch by Truffle

For eyes I picked up one of the Naked2 Double Ended 24/7 Glide On Pencils. They come in a variety of colors, I picked one with Pistol and Perversion. For eyeshadow palettes, the Naked Basics2 Palette is a no-fail option. I already own one but bought one as a birthday gift for a friend. I swatched it below next to Naked Basics. Both are staples as far as matte shadows go.

One of my friends swears by Lancome Définicils Mascara and she always has the perfect lush black lashes. I’ve only tried minis before. I’m giving this one in the full size a try. (If you have a favorite Lancome mascara let me know.)

I didn’t realize Ulta Beauty carried Becca Cosmetics, but now I do. I picked up the Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed in Rose Gold. I debated between the pressed and poured version. The pressed seemed to have more pink undertone so I opted for this one. It has the prettiest warm rosy champagne gold shimmer. The left side is a heavy swatch, right is blended out a little.

For nails, I like to shop for cheaper finds like OPI and Essie. I play around with both a lot but don’t buy many because of the lack of testers. Two staples include Peach Daiquiri and Topless and Barefoot. Both are relatively affordable options although they don’t last longer than 3 days on me, but for the price I think they are worth it. I just need to make sure I reapply top coat 2-3 times throughout the 5-7 day period I have the color on. Although I switch things up frequently to swatch so sometimes it doesn’t really matter.

Peach Daiquiri needed three coats for me.

Topless and Barefoot is the best neutral nude pink. It’s not too nude and not too pink. Two coats works ok, I find a third coat gives this one complete full coverage.

For lips the options are endless. There are so many different finishes, formulas, textures and packaging options. I think I got a bit lost with all the options but I wasn’t in a rush so I was able to take my time to browse. Stila was one of my very first beauty loves back when I was in high school and all the way through college. I’m glad through all the changes that they’ve kept some of the original line. The Lip Glazes are always fun. Apricot is a staple glow. Kitten is a fun frosted champagne beige shimmer.

Urban Decay has some really good new lip products out. I think many have been out for a while but my focus has always been on their shadows and Naked Palettes. The Revolution Lipstick in Naked is a neutral nude pink cream. It has medium to full coverage and has a slightly glossy sheen. There are a number of neutrals to pick from and they have different finishes from matte, sheer and regular. The High-Color Lip Glosses are full-coverage glosses. Almost like a liquid lipstick but still glossy in formula. Kinky is a really pretty light neutral pink beige. I’m completely obsessed with it.

Last but not least I tried something from Tarte. The twist up chubby stick lip products come in a number of different finishes and textures. After swatching up a number of colors all over my hand, I picked out the LipSurgence Lip Tint in Sweet. It’s a soft light pink with shimmer but goes on the lips a more rosy flushed soft pink. It has a soft minty scent and feels cool on the lips. I really like the way it looks and feels – I’m going to have to check out more of the colors soon.

Today on August 19th in celebration of their 25th birthday, they have 25 value sets available online. In addition they are running a sweepstakes through August 29th where 25 lucky Ultamate Rewards Members will win 25,000 points. Details here on ulta.com/25bday.

Do you have any recent discoveries from Ulta Beauty? What are your favorite beauty pick-me-ups?

This post was created in partnership with Ulta Beauty. Many thanks to Ulta Beauty for sponsoring this post. All opinions my own, more information on my disclosures. 

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On My Radar / New in Beauty

August 17, 2015

I hope everyone had a great weekend! We had a hot weekend here in Southern California – it was nice to have lots of sunny weather but I do hope it will cool down soon. A few new items on my beauty radar right now:
  1. Louboutin Beauté is launching 38 shades of lipstick in September retailing at $90 each. These are encased in a heavy duty metal cases that look like mini jeweled ornaments. There will be three formulas in Silky Satin, Sheer Voile and Velvet Matte. All will come encased in a gold base and cap except three Rouge Louboutin shades (one in each formula) which comes in a solid black metal case.
  2. Lipstick Queen has six new shades of a Cupid Strikes Lip Pencil ($22 each). These are a lipliner and lipstick in one kind of product. I have my eye on the colors in Golden Arrow and Apollo – they look really pretty.
  3. Clinique for Men launched a new Sonic System Deep Cleansing Brush ($89.50). My husband has been using my Clarisonic for a while (he has his own brush heads) but I’m glad to see some lines launching ones for men’s skin. Reports indicate the brushes are slightly different for men’s facial hair. This one has a nice sleek masculine look to it.
  4. Clarisonic has a men’s tool in the new Alpha Fit Cleansing System for Men ($189). This one is quite a bit more pricey compared to the Clinique. I ordered this already a few weeks ago – the video demonstrated how how versatile it is. My husband likes the look – it has a good design and compact look. He’s testing it right now.
  5. Tom Ford Beauty has launched 13 new shades of Lip Color (in the full size, $52 each). I have my eye on so many colors, in particular Guilty Pleasure, So Vain and Lilac. Some swatches of the colors on the Tom Ford Forum via Specktra.net.
  6. Allure and Butter London teamed up to create a collection of 6 nail lacquers ($15 each). The colors include Disco Nap, I’m On the List, It’s Vintage, Lust or Must?, Nude Stilettos and Statement Piece.
  7. Bobbi Brown has a small Greige Collection with a Eye Palette, two Nail Polishes and two Long-Wear Cream Shadow Sticks. I need to investigate the eyeshadows.
  8. Frederic Malle now carries the travel sized vials individually. They are expensive when you break down the price per ounce but it’s still a nice way to buy a smaller size instead of splurging on the full size bottle if you’re unsure. My go-to scent is Carnal Flower. I have my eye on Eau de Magnolia, Lipstick Rose and Dries Van Noten.
  9. and 10. Last but not least, Burberry Beauty has launched at Sephora.com! The full makeup line is available along with some new releases. Sephora has an exclusive Burberry Beauty Box (VIB Rouge exclusive). Other new items include the Kisses Lip Gloss, First Kiss Glossy Lip Balm, Face Contour Pen for Face & Eyes and a new 3-Piece Nail Color Set for Fall.
What’s on your beauty radar this week?

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Summer Loves

August 7, 2015

Happy Friday! I hope everyone had a great week – mine was a very long one and I’m glad it’s almost the weekend. A few things I’m loving right now are summery-themed.
Glossier Coconut Balm Dotcom $12 is described as a “vacation in a tube.” It does indeed smell like a dreamy vacation with a delicious coconut scent. It’s Glossier’s do-anything skin salve for the lips, eyes, cheeks or cuticles – basically anywhere you need an added moisture boost. It’s very creamy so I’ve only been brave enough to test it on the lips and so far I love it. It’s hydrating, soothing and smells incredible.

Tom Ford Fleur de Portofino $215 was one of my biggest summer splurges. It’s a summery white floral citrus. Similar to the Neroli Portofino and Mandarino di Amalafi but with a floral twist to it. It’s bright and very rich. Lasts all day on me and makes me feel like I’m at the beach. If you own either of the others I would say you probably don’t need the Fleur de Portofino as they are similar. There are noticeable differences, the original Neroli is the strongest and more unisex, Mandarino is the most citrus, Fleur has floral notes which I like the most.

Supergoop! Sun-Defying Sunscreen Oil Broad Spectrum SPF 50 $12-34 has been in regular rotation. The concept of a sunscreen in oil form is new to me. I’m super hesitant about trying new sunscreens in general but this one has been gentle enough for me to wear without any irritation or reaction. It’s meant for both the face and body but I haven’t been brave enough to test it on the face.

Chanel Tutti Frutti $27 is my favorite coral pink nail color for summer. It’s been on my nails a lot lately. I plan on getting a pedicure this weekend for the toes.

Smith & Cult recently launched Lip Lacquers $22 each. I’ve been testing a few that I ordered sight unseen. They are all relatively sheer in finish but have a lush glossy shine to them with a hint of color. My personal favorite is Her Name Is Bubbles (in large part because I like the name). I’ll have a more detailed feature soon on the glosses but for now below are a few swatches. You can find them at Neiman Marcus, Net-A-Porter, Birchbox. If you want to see Her Name is Bubbles on the lips, you can see it in my peachy makeup loves post.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend! What have you been loving this summer?

The Glossier Lip Balm was provided as a courtesy sample for review. All other items purchased by me.

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Last Few Days for the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale

July 31, 2015

There are only a few more days before the Nordstrom Anniversary sale ends. Prices go up on August 3rd. I placed one last order online today for a few more items. Thanks to several of my readers who recommended this Deborah Lippmann The Stripper Duo – I don’t think I’ve ever seen the jumbo size in stores so I’m glad I was able to get this from the sale. Sara Happ is another highly recommended brand – my friend swears by the clear shine lipgloss so I ordered two of The Sparkling Pink Lip Set (one for me, one for her). This Kiehl’s Ultimate Man Body Scrub Soap is on discount for the sale – I stocked up on a few for my husband. The fourth item I ordered is this Ahava Mineral Hand Cream Duo – several readers emailed me about this the last time I wrote about hand creams stating this was their favorite – I’m giving it a try. Last but not least I ordered the Moroccan Oil Moisture Repair Hair Set.
Three last things on my radar that I haven’t pulled the trigger on include the NARS Blame it on NARS Cheek Palette, this MAC Sophisticate Face Kit and these Kate Spade 53mm Sunglasses. The glasses look like they have small frames which is what I need but I won’t know for sure until I try them on. I’m hoping my Nordstrom store will have them when I stop by tonight.

Did you find any good deals during the sale? What did you end up getting? Either for yourself or for a loved one? Would love to hear about your finds 🙂

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