P.S. There are some individual GWPs up at Nordstrom (I think it was for Triple Points) and also at Saks Fifth Avenue (for beauty week) right now. I took advantage of a few including the Armani one from Saks and Jo Malone one from Nordstrom. Be sure to check for codes listed on each GWP option, sometimes there are codes you need to enter.
- Nude Lotus is a true light pale flesh nude, this is too pale for me to wear alone but it looks amazing layered over brighter corals like Island Blossom
- Naked Blossom is a peachy light nude neutral
- Pure Impulse is my perfect neutral nude
- Island Blossom is the prettiest coral peach that’s bright but not garish
- Deep Lust is a classic mahogany brown, looks good on everyone I’ve seen it on!
- Midnight Bloom is a classic red
- Desert Escape is a neutral medium pink brown (the original one used to be more brown)
- Rose Demure is a cool-toned rose mauve
- Demi Buff is a pinky neutral with a hint of brown
- Tender Love is a medium rose
- Night Romance is a classic raspberry shade (this is my mom’s favorite and the only other lipstick she’ll wear is by Estee Lauder so for her to like one this is a big deal)
- Blushed Orchid is a cool-toned baby pink
- Endless Dream is the best bright pink I’ve ever tried, bright but still refined
- Pick one lipstick color
- Daydream Ultra Luminous Bronzer is my holy grail bronzer, it’s not orangey, isn’t frosty and gives life to the face
- All Over Seduction is my holy grail cream highlighter, I like Afterglow because it has more color on my skin, but Sunlight is also very good
- His Retractable Buff and Blend Brush is really good and super soft
- If you like neutral-ish kinds of lips, Natural Lip Definer will go with a lot of colors
You can find Edward Bess at Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, Net-a-Porter, or online at Edward Bess.
- Receive $25 off purchases $250+
- Receive $75 off purchases $500+
- Receive $200 off purchases $1,000+
Edward Bess Threads of Silk:
- Tom Ford Lips and Boys in Daniel and Drake (finally back in stock! both on lips here)
- Le Metier Lip Creme in Posh (new formula and colors!)
- Marc Jacobs Enamored Hi-Shine Lip Lacquer in Allow Me
- Edward Bess Lipstick in Night Romance and Rose Demure (review soon)
- Cle de Peau Beaute Radiant Liquid Rouge 13 (reviewed here)
Next up are skincare splurges and staples. I really don’t like spending a lot on skincare but sometimes one just has to. The best affordable line for me is Kate Somerville. I could do an entire dedicated post on the items I use and love from her line, but for now three things I swear by include:
- Gentle Daily Wash which is the best daily cleanser for me that won’t strip the skin
- Dry Skin Saver (formerly known as her Eczema Cream) is something you can use on face and body and really does work to calm flare ups, soothe skin, moisturize and for me it reduces redness from irritation, when my skin gets irritated on the legs or arms sometimes it feels tight from the dryness and I don’t want to put anything on it because products often sting when my skin flares up, this one never stings for me
- Nourish Daily Moisturizer never lets me down and her moisturizers in the tubs come with the most innovative push pump dispenser so you don’t have to worry about dipping hands or fingers into the container
- La Mer Moisturizing Soft Cream has been a favorite for me, it’s a softer and lighter weight version of the regular cream (which is too heavy for me), I did not want to splurge on this so for a long time I lived off minis I got as GWPs, this is worth the splurge! For summer I’ve had to use this sparingly because even though it’s lighter than the cream in hot humid weather it can get a bit heavy feeling.
- La Mer Soft The Moisturizing Soft Lotion is one of La Mer’s latest launches, it’s been out for a few months and it took me a while to decide whether or not to buy it because it does come with a hefty price tag, for me it’s almost identical in performance to the Moisturizing Soft Cream, but it’s a bit more fluid and comes with a pump. I’m all about the packaging and pump as I really don’t like dipping fingers into cream pots. After using this one skin feels noticeably softer by the next few days even though I only use this for day time. If I had to pick the Soft Cream or Soft Lotion, I would say I have a slight preference for the Soft Lotion.
- La Mer The Tonic is the toner I’ve repurchased the most in my adult life, it never fails me, doesn’t strip the skin but at the same time makes sure skin is clean and rebalanced .
- SK-II Facial Treatment Sheet Masks are my weakness when it comes to sheet masks, I love that they are soft and feel cool upon application, skin is always left brighter and refreshed, if I could afford to use these every day I would.
- Cle de Peau Beaute Facial Cotton is something some may find silly to splurge on, but they are worth every penny, they’re thick but soft and don’t leave tiny fibers in my eyes when I use them to remove mascara or eyeliner, I’ve lost count of how many boxes I’ve bought and hope they never discontinue them.
- Receive $25 off purchases $250+
- Receive $75 off purchases $500+
- Receive $200 off purchases $1,000+
- Premiere is a cool-toned medium pink with a bit of brightness, I rarely can wear cool-toned blue based pinks because it makes my skin look sallow but this one is just stunning
- Grege 1947 is a medium beige pink cream
- Rose Montaigne is a lovely light pink, this is the most natural looking on me and had the least coverage, but still covered my lip entirely
- Bal is a warm pinky rose neutral
- Hasard is a light ballet pink
- Saint Germain is a stunning medium rose neutral nude
- Promenade is a warmer neutral nude
- Dolce Vita is a muted orangey color with a hint of copper
- Rendez-Vous is a neutral reddish color with a slight hint of plum
For quick reference, other new colors that are part of the Rouge Dior launch:
- Rouge Dior Brilliant ($35 each) in Miss #047, Premiere #060, Red Smile #080
- Rouge Dior Contour Lip Pencil ($31 each), 7 new shades in Miss #047, Premiere #060, Red Smile #080, New World Matte #365, Sydney Matte #644, Euphoric Matte #756 and Mysterieuse Matte #994
Colors shown from top to bottom include:
- Nude Whisper is a pale flesh-toned light nude
- Lover’s Desire is a peachy pink
- Stolen Kiss is a pale pink
- French Lace is a medium cool toned pink
- Nude Satin is a mauvey nude pink
- First Kiss is a bright cool pink
- Wild Passion is a sheer plum
- Amor is a sheer bright red
Swatch comparison Set 1:
- MAC Lipglass in Cultured
- MAC Viva Glam Lipglass in VGV and VGVI (both discontinued)
- MAC Viva Glam Ariana Grande Lipglass
- MAC Viva Glam Ariana Grande 2 Lipglass (launches in September)
MAC Lipglass in Lovechild (on the lips here) - MAC Lipglass in Lust
- Dior Addict Fluid Stick in Milky Plum
- Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution in Very Victoria (review here)
Swatch comparison Set 2:
- Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche Lipsticks (cool-tones review here and here)
- MAC Viva Glam Ariana Grande 2 Matte Lipstick (launches September)
- Anastasia Beverly Hills Lipgloss in Grape Jelly (review here)