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Bobbi Brown Pink Oyster Shimmer Brick (Asia Exclusive)

June 11, 2010
You all know that I love the unique and the hard-to-find 🙂 I fell in love with the Pink Oyster Shimmer Brick ever since I saw Haru’s review on Rouge Deluxe back in May (see her review here) and knew I had to find it. I am happy to report that she enabled me to get my hands on the Pink Oyster Shimmer Brick from Singapore thanks to a lovely custom purchase and I am forever grateful. (Thanks Iris! xoxo)

The U.S. market received the Beach Shimmer Brick for the summer collection. You can see my review, swatches and comparisons here. I called my in-the-know sales associates here to inquire about it’s possible release here (especially since Neimans sometimes gets exclusives) – but no luck. At this time, you can only get it in Asia. It’s a lovely block of white gold, sandy beige, pale gold, and light pearly pink shimmers. Swirled together it’s absolutely stunning. It’s definitely more of a highlight power – hard to describe but it gives a nice glow.



Here it is swirled, swatched and compared:

Compared to Pink, Platinum Pink, Pink Quartz:


Pink Oyster (Asia Exclusive, Summer 2010):

Platinum Pink (Spring 2009):

Pink Quartz (Holiday 2007):

Pink (Regular Line):

How much did this set me back? After the exchange rates, a little over $50ish USD each (which included shipping for 2 well padded shimmer bricks). Pricey? Yes. Worth it? Definitely yes. Unfortunately, even in my extensive stash of highlighters, I cannot find a dupe. It’s what I wanted NARS Albatross to be (which turns a horrid yellow-gold on me).
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Tom Ford Private Blend Lip Color in Pink Dusk

June 10, 2010
I swore to myself that I wouldn’t even look at the new lipsticks from Tom Ford. I was less than thrilled with the boxy packaging, high price tag, and unappealing ad campaign. The fact that the lighter shades sold out online within days made me feel like it wasn’t meant to be. However my friend and I just happened to see these in LA and the rep at the Beverly Hills Neimans made the experience of trying on these lipsticks so fun, I could hardly say no. I caved and shelled out $45 for Pink Dusk and I have to say I am really happy with my purchase – no regrets at all.


I tried the four lightest shades and wanted to love the nudes but they looked like concealer on me. Pink Dusk was the only one that worked for my skintone (within my comfort zone) and is a lovely light neutral creamy pink with a very slight hint of shimmer in the tube. The formulas to me are the equivalent of cashmere sweaters. Creamy and smooth. They have the most wonderful soft vanilla scent (like Sprinkles Vanilla Cupcakes). If you like YSL Rouge Voluptes, you will like these. The Tom Ford is not quite as soft, but almost as creamy.


A few lip swatches, but it’s been a cloudy day so it was hard to get a good swatch. First in natural light, no flash.



Since I know there’s bound to be at least one of you to ask if there’s a dupe, I went through my stash of lipsticks to see. No dupe to be found. In my mind (off the top of my head) I had thought it was similar to Chanel Naive Rouge Allure, but upon pulling it out – I found I was way off. The most similar ones I could find, left to right:

Bobbi Brown Blondie Pink
Chanel Naive Rouge Allure
Tom Ford Pink Dusk
NARS Catfight
Bobbi Brown Uber Pink





You can also see it swatched on Karla Sugar’s Arm and London Makeup Girl’s Lips too.

Overall Thoughts: The color selection was a bit limited in my opinion. The nudes were mostly too pale and then there were 2 middle shades and then the rest jumped to brights and darks. I had my eye on Bruised Plum but knew there was no way I could pull it off.

Are these a must have? No. Especially not at $45 and especially not for a natural your lips but better color. But I am happy with my Pink Dusk and see myself getting regular use out of this shade. That being said, I definitely don’t plan on purchasing more.

$45 is still $45 and there are probably other better things I could have used my money on.

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Beauty Investigation: Is There a Dupe for Chanel Riviera?

June 9, 2010
I recently received an e-mail from one of my readers asking if I knew of a dupe for Chanel Riviera. She had decided to wait a bit to think about purchasing it and by the time she decided to purchase it, the color was sold out everywhere online and at all the stores and counters near her. Knowing that “oh no it’s sold out” feeling all too well, I was more than happy to help. I called & visited a number of local stores (about a dozen) but I too was unable to locate the nail polish – so began my quest to find the perfect dupe.
I narrowed down my search to brands that had testers available thus eliminating brands without testers such as Zoya, China Glaze, Essie and all drugstore brands. I swatched about a dozen hot pinks in my notebook and then went back to each counter/store to swatch the four closest matches on my fingers. I have to admit I was a bit nervous swatching so many shades in my notebook – but the Chanel reps were so sweet at each store. They even chimed in with their input about which ones they thought looked the most similar to the Riviera shade.

For some reason the fuschia undertones of some of the shades were throwing off my camera flash, so it was hard to get an accurate picture. Here are two views (to the best of my ability).

  • Thumb: Sephora by OPI It’s All About Me – about 2 shades darker and brighter and a smidge cooler toned

  • Index: NARS Schiap – same intensity, one shade bluer, looks more magenta

  • Middle: MAC Steamy – closest dupe in my opinion, just a bit more intense/sharper looking

  • Ring: Chanel Riviera

  • Pinkie: OPI Strawberry Margarita – second closest dupe, slightly lighter (only a touch)

So, which are the closest dupes? The verdict: MAC Steamy and OPI Strawberry Margarita. From an arms distance glance – you can barely tell the difference. Here they are photographed next to Chanel Riviera. Note that while they look slightly different in the bottles, on the fingers the difference is not noticeable. Are the exact dupes? No.

I was also asked how it compared to Lancome’s Miss Perfectly Pink and Illamasqua Collide – Lancome’s is significantly cooler toned and Illamasqua is a hot electric neon pink. So if you missed out on Chanel Riviera, not to worry – no need to shell out extra money for the shade on ebay. You can definitely find a similar shade! Not an exact dupe, but yes, similar. (Here’s one more shot with the Lancome – can’t swatch it b/c it’s a present.)


In terms of pigment, I actually found all the dupes to be pretty smooth and nicely pigmented. The Chanel did apply the best IMHO, but after 2 coats, you get the same result.

Note that this is by no means the most comprehensive list – just the ones I found 🙂 I hope this helps some! All work is copyrighted. Please do not republish these photos.

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Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill #6

June 8, 2010
I took a mini road trip to Beverly Hills/West Hollywood this past weekend for a day of shopping, cupcakes and other girliness. It was perfect weather and my friend and I literally walked until we dropped. Of course I had to stop by Saks to check out D&G and see if they had the new Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill Palettes in ($59 each) – which they did have for sale, but did not have testers of. Wasn’t a problem for me though, I had purchased my Eyes To Kill from last fall without testing them instore too. I picked up the neutral one, Number 6 which has a lovely warm taupe-bronze sparkle, light pink, soft light peach – all sparkly like the first series of Eyes to Kill, but not quite as sparkly as the Spring Nude Contrasts.

According to Armani, Palette 6 is named “Bronze Coral” designed for solar hues and describes the shades in the palette as having metallic and satin finishes:
  • Centre: fresh coral (satin finish)
  • Middle: fresh pink (metallic finish)
  • Exterior: gold stone (satin finish)

Close Up Photos and Swatches:

Natural Light Without Flash:


For the taupe lovers who want to know how this compares to the older release,
here is Palette #1 compared to the New Palette #6:

In looking at the promo photos, it seems like there is a slight discrepancy in what is being featured. This is what I mean: there are 2 versions of each palette depending on which Armani site you visit. See the US versus International/Global photos.

I’m not sure if certain stores received different shades or if this is simply an error. The ones I saw at the Beverly Hills Saks Fifth Avenue look like the ones from the Global Website. In my excitement with the Saks Beverly Hills store, I completely forgot to check out the new Double Decker palette, new lipshimmers and waterproof Eyes to Kill mascara.

I haven’t tried this on my eyes yet, but I have fallen in love with almost all Armani shadows. I can’t wait to wear this today and plan to pair it with Bobbi Brown’s Bronze Gel Liner 🙂

Has anyone else seen summer in person yet? Any details to report on the lipshimmers? Have a great Tuesday!

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Paul & Joe Nail Enamel Oasis 006

June 8, 2010
I’m not much for blues but one swatch of Paul & Joe’s summer blue nail polish in Oasis 006 and I was sold. It’s a lovely shade of soft iridescent blue and if you like Chanel’s Nouvelle Vague you will like this one too. I purchased this at the Paul & Joe boutique on Robertson Blvd and it was wrapped in a pretty white bag with ribbon.




All the Paul & Joe Sahara Collection Summer Nail Polishes, l to r:
Marrakesh 004, Mirage 005, Oasis 006
(see swatches of Marrakesh/Mirage here)

Comparisons to a few other blues, l to r:
Chanel Azur, Chanel Nouvelle Vague, Paul & Joe Oasis, Chanel Blue Wish

Paul & Joe Oasis vs. Chanel Nouvelle Vague
(the other 2 are really sheer and show up basically clear)



Paul & Joe nail polishes usually retail for $14 each, however I think the one I purchased was priced slightly higher for some reason. I am trying to find my receipt to find the exact price – will update when I find it!

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New Paul & Joe Boutique in Los Angeles

June 7, 2010

Paul & Joe has opened up its first flagship store in the US on Robertson Boulevard and I was thrilled to be able to take a mini road trip to Beverly Hills/West Hollywood this past weekend to visit the boutique! The staff was lovely and I was absolutely smitten with the store design and layout. Being enamored (borderline obsessed) with the beauty line, I was hoping to see the entire cosmetic line at the boutique, but I found that right now, the store’s main focus is on clothing and accessories. They do however carry a few select cosmetic items including the new Summer Sahara collection (photos included below). Will they carry the full beauty line? I am keeping my fingers crossed that they will eventually!



It was my first time seeing Paul & Joe apparel in person. I thought the children’s line was to die for and I was enamored with their sunglasses and display cases. The store carries all the Paul & Joe lines which includes the following:
  • Paul & Joe Men’s (Homme)
  • Paul & Joe Women’s (Femme)
  • Paul & Joe Sister (Contemporary)
  • Little Paul & Joe (children’s line)
  • Paul & Joe Accesories (which includes jewelry, bags, shoes and sunglasses)








I checked out the other summer items and left with Oasis Nail Polish (review + more photos to come soon). There were a few glosses I had my eye on but decided to wait. The summer powders were matte and as I am expecting to get more color this summer, decided to wait and stick with my current Chanel, Laura Mercier and D&G powders. The new shimmer oil is very interesting – it has a jelly like texture and doesn’t feel oily like most body oils. The scent is divine and left my arm feeling hydrated and fresh, like I had just misted it with a water spray. I’m not a fan of body shimmer (although I have been intrigued by this one, NARS Body Glow and the new one from MAC) so I passed.

I hope my photos give you a taste of the store! Words or photos cannot describe how chic it is inside. It’s a small location, but the layout gives it that quaint, special and intimate feel. If you are in LA or visit soon, definitely check out their boutique!



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Hair Care Loves

June 5, 2010
Hair care is one area I don’t like to splurge on, but unfortunately, I haven’t been able to find good products that are reasonably priced from the drugstore. If you have any holy grails please share your successes with me, I’m always open to trying new bath and shower products 🙂

The 411 on my hair: I have thick dark black-brown hair with natural red highlights. It’s not exactly straight but not perfectly wavy either. Without a blowdryer and/or flat iron it dries to a huge poofy mess. I usually keep it around just below the shoulder for length. I would like it longer, but it just takes me a really long time to grow it out.

My hair care routine:

  • Daily: shampoo, leave in conditioner treatment and blow dry
  • Weekly: condition and straighten with a flat iron
  • Monthly: hair mask treatment
  • Misc: Hair cuts once every 3 to 4 months
  • Never: Color or highlight
Brands I’ve used repeatedly in the past include Aveda, Frederick Fekkai, Goldwell, Phyto, Redken, Neutrogena, and Crew for Men (yes, I use my hubby’s shampoo sometimes). As much as I love Aveda, I find the scents to usually be too earthy and herbal. Frederick Fekkai has been reformulating his shampoos so I haven’t used his line for a long time.

Right now my staples include, left to right:

Phytojoba Shampoo, Phyto7, Phytokarité,
HAI Ceramic Iron, Supersolano 3600 Micro

  1. Supersolano 3600 Micro Hair Dryer – This is my second Solano in the past 8 years. I really love this brand. After I decided to retire my first one, I tried a number of other always-raved-in-magazines type brands and was thoroughly disappointed by *all* of them (especially T3). None gave my hair that soft glossy shine or smooth blowout like my Solano. I’m not exactly sure what it is about the Solano, but it’s just amazing. I got mine at Ball Beauty Online on both occasions and they seem to have really good prices.
  2. HAI Convertible Ceramic Straightening Iron – Another fabulous birthday present from my sister 🙂 I’ve had this one for about 5 years. I’m not sure where she purchased this one from, but it’s also available online at Ball Beauty. Again, I’m not sure what technology this one has that makes it so great, but it makes my hair shine and ends look pretty.
  3. Phytojoba Shampoo – It’s meant for dry hair (even though my hair isn’t super dry) but I still love this. Has a delicious subtle pineapple-coconut scent, gets a rich lather, leaves the hair and scalp feeling good. My only 2 rants are the price for the size you get (I go through it really fast) and the fact that there is no pump (which makes it hard not to spill too much into my palm sometimes).
  4. Phyto7 & PhytoSpecific Integral Hair Care – Phyto7 is a hydrating cream I apply before blowdrying. A little goes a long way and I’m on my second tube right now (the first tube lasted me a year). I’ve written about PhytoSpecific here before but recently ran out so I don’t have it available to photograph. It’s a HG for me and allows my hair to airdry nicely like no other product.
  5. Phytokarité Ultra Nourishing Hair Mask – I recently had a 45 minute Phyto Hair Treatment at my local salon and the Phyto specialist used this on my hair. It was incredible and gave me baby soft hair. They gave me tons of sample packets of this conditioner to try out (since I got the regular Phytojoba Conditioner in a set). One packet has enough product for 2 uses. I’ve gone through 3 packets already (six weeks worth) and am definitely going back for this once my current conditioner is used up.
What is your hair type and what are your favorites? Do you have any special treatments you like to indulge in?
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