The next series will be all about pink. To kick off, we’ll start with pink blushes. (Will be updated soon with Chanel & Armani.)
YSL fall was a disappointment for me – I checked out the new colors (except the gloss volupte which they did not have yet) and came home with 2 items, and then returned the eyeshadow duo the next day. The remaining colors just weren’t me, and didn’t seem coordinated at all.
Pictured below Ombres Duolumières #23 Pearly Peach-Mink Brown and Crème de Blush #02 Powdery Rose:
Swatches, #02 Blush on bare skin, #23 Eyeshadow Duo over Laura Mercier Eye Basics
The blush while a pretty pink is extremely tiny for the price of $39 USD. The eyeshadow duo was chalky and had very little pigment, the swatches were applied very heavily over a cream eyeshadow base while it was still moist. When applied to the eyes with the same technique, it barely showed up.
I also checked out the new Rouge Volupté Lipsticks which weren’t my style either. The lightest one was #19 Frivolous Pink which looked like a neon powdery pink, extremely unflattering in my opinion. The others were very brown/plum.
Unless you’re a die hard YSL fan, I’d suggest you save your $$$ for other items.
I’m one of those people who always uses lipliner with lipstick & gloss. I find that it can enhance certain tones and define the lips nicely especially with natural or nude looking shades. Therefore I find it’s one of my beauty essentials. I’ve swatched (on bare arm, equivalent of MAC NC30) all my natural lipliners, hopefully this will help you make a list of what to check out and try in stores!
1. MAC Oak
2. MAC Honey B.
3. MAC Whirl
4. MAC Gingerroot
5. MAC Subculture
6. MAC Sublime Culture
7. Giorgio Armani #1
8. Giorgio Armani #10
9. Giorgio Armani #13
****************************************************************
1. Bobbi Brown Beige
2. Bobbi Brown Heather Beige
3. Bobbi Brown Blush
4. Bobbi Brown Ballet Pink
5. Bobbi Brown Pale Pink
6. Bobbi Brown Naked
7. Bobbi Brown Cocoa
8. Bobbi Brown Blondie Pink
9. Bobbi Brown Sandwash Pink
10. Bobbi Brown Brownie Pink
11. Bobbi Brown Mauve (now named Pink Mauve)
12. Bobbi Brown Slopes
* Note that Bobbi Brown has reformulated her lipliners at least 3 times, the shades swatched are from her current collection of lipliners
****************************************************************
1. Dior Natural Beige #213
2. NARS Tonga
3. NARS Morocco
4. NARS Papua
5. NARS Rosebud
6. Trish McEvoy Bare
7. Shiseido Soft Sepia #15
8. Make Up Forever 1C
9. Chanel Natural
10. Chanel Praline D’or
11. Laura Mercier Natural Lips
Nars has released several gorgeous 6 color palettes with some great combinations of already-existing shades making these great for travel. I typically have a hard time finding palettes where I love every shade but Nars has released some great palettes with enough neutrals for me to fall completely head over heels.
Another great thing about these palettes is that you can often find some with one share from some of the duos. For example, Modern Love Palette has that gorgeous plum shimmer side of Habanera Eyeshadow Duo which I would have never bought individually because I can’t wear greens. Same goes for the new Essential Eye Palette which has that pretty cream champagne side of Unconditional Love Cream Eyeshadow Duo. My only gripe about these is their limited edition factor and the rubber packaging can easily get dirty and sticky if not super careful with them. Also, I’d love to see some with new exclusive shades, maybe as a preview for what’s coming up next mixed in with existing shades.
Here are the three that I own:
Essential Eye Palette #9952 (currently available online at Neiman Marcus)
Top Row: Unconditional Love, Night Star, Galapagos
Bottom Row: Nepal, Ondine, Thunderball
Modern Love Palette #9950 (currently a Nordstrom Beauty Exclusive, but expected to be back for sale at narscosmetics.com in the near future – as of now, it’s no longer online at Nordstrom, but there’s a good chance their beauty locator can try and find one for you instore and have it shipped to you)
Top Row: Alhambra, Jezebel, India Song
Bottom Row: Tokyo, Habanera, Pandora
Nars Best Palette #9944
Top Row: Bellissima I, All About Eve II, Bali
Bottom Row: All About Eve I, Kalahari I, Kalahari II
Uncategorized
Day 4 of Beauty Essentials: Primers & Fix Sprays, Illuminators, Foundations
July 31, 2009I’ve searched through numerous brands and formulas to find the right foundation for me. My skin is overall normal but very sensitive and prone to break-outs and reactions. This post will list what I’ve found to work the best for me to get a flawless but still natural glow. If you have any favorites, please share them! I’m always looking for new products to try out.
Foundations & Tinted Moisturizers (left to right):
* Laura Mercier Illuminating Tinted Moisturizer gives a sheer glow to the face that isn’t overly shimmery or sparkly. I also love her other regular and oil-free formulas, but have been loving this one recently.
* Laura Mercier Undercover Pot contains her Secret Camouflage and Secret Concealer on the top layer with a mini mirror and translucent powder on the bottom to set. It is very tiny for the price, but great for travel. Luckily there have been a few sets that I’ve purchased that have contained this as part of a kit, so I haven’t had to spend the full retail price on it.
* Chanel Hydramax+ Active Teinte is part of the Hydramax line which “boosts the hydration process at its source, with formulas targeted precisely to meet skin’s moisture needs.” This is a nice lightweight tinted moisturizer that evens out the skintone and has SPF15.
* Chanel Lift Lumiere Foundation is meant for smoothing & firming, also contains SPF15. At age 28, I don’t really need any smoothing or firming, but I do find it has a nice medium coverage, lasts all day, and does make the skin look very smooth.
* Giorgio Armani Lasting Silk UV Foundation SPF20 was made to replace their Matte Silk foundation and has a “water-based foundation provides 14-hour satin matte coverage without the coverage feel. For normal to oily skin, providing medium coverage.” I had previously used their Luminous Silk Foundation and loved the full flawless coverage and finish, but found it made my skin very oily within a couple hours. The new Lasting Silk works much better for my skin. I wouldn’t say it lasts a full 14 hours, but then I haven’t used it with their primer or other products.
*Chanel Teint Innocence is probably my most frequently used foundation for a sheer-medium coverage that gives a natural glow. (I have gone through over 6 bottles.) This is more moist than the Lift Lumiere, but not overly so. That being said, if your skin is more on the oily side, I would avoid this one. It contains SPF12. I prefer the liquid formula, but it also comes in a cream compact foundation formula that I find heavier in texture and coverage.
* Chanel Correcteur Perfection is their newest concealer which is lightweight and gel-based. I like this for under the eyes to brighten the skin and dark circles.
Primers & Sprays (left to right):
* Laura Mercier Foundation Primer really helps the application process for foundation and powder, I like to use this over moisturizer.
* Le Blanc De Chanel is an illuminating base that primes the skin for foundation while adding a subtle glow.
* Chantecaille Rosewater is meant to “purify, tone, and hydrate skin.” It is definitely refreshing, but fairly pricey. Pictured is a mini size that is often given in their gift with purchases at beauty events.
* MAC Prep & Prime Skin is a great silicone based primer that has subtle sparkle to the actual product. I like to use this sometimes instead of moisturizer.
* MAC Fix+ Rose came out with the Rose Romance collection this past year as a limited edition product, but still comes in a regular version. A must have for everyone – you can spray this on the face before foundation to moisten the skin, or after foundation & powder to set your makeup and make your face look less powdery and more fresh. I also like to spray this on my eyeshadow brushes sometimes to lightly dampen the brush to apply eyeshadows more heavily.
Illuminators (left to right): I love using liquid illuminators and mixing them with foundation to give an all over subtle glow. These are great because of the sheerness so you don’t end up looking greasy. These are also great to use over foundation/powder in certain areas to highlight the eyes or temples.
Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Opal, Giorgio Armani Fluid Sheer 3 & 7, MAC Strobe Cream (mini size from a travel set), Chanel Brilliance Pur Sunkissed
Tools for the face – Foundation, Powder & Cleansing/Touch Up:
* Sponges – My fool-proof technique for applying foundation is to use an egg-shaped sponge, which allows for even application and control of the amount of coverage. The edges also allow for clean-up of smudges or fall out of powder eyeshadows. Sponges are also great for applying powder foundations, but most compacts come with their own. Refills are available from a number of lines.
* Puffs – Larger puffs are nice for applying translucent powders to set foundation. (I clean mine in the washing machine.) Sometimes you can find the smaller versions in gift-with-purchase deals.
* Facial Cotton/Q-tips – Shiseido Facial Cotton (found at Macys, Nordstrom, Bloomingdales, Sephora and other Shiseido counters) is a standby for me for removing makeup or fixing mistakes. Q-tips are also essential for removing smudges and getting those fine detail areas.
Top Row: Laura Mercier Velour Puff, Chanel Mini Puff (GWP), MAC Foundation Sponge Liquid/Cream
Bottom Row: Laura Mercier Mini Velour Puff (GWP), Shiseido Facial Cotton/Q-Tips, MAC Studio Tech Sponge (Set of 2)
Tools for the eye area – Lashes & Brows:
* Eyelash Curlers – There are many different curlers out there, the type that will work for you will depend on your eye shape. I find that Shu Uemura and Trish McEvoy work the best for me.
* Tweezers – My favorites are Anastasia & Shu Uemura. Tweezerman is good too, but I find it dulls after a while. The mini purple tweezers are from Nordstrom for their Anniversary Sale Beauty Exclusives.
* Brow Comb
Left to right: Tweezerman Mini Slant Tweezers, Anastasia ‘Mini Berry’ Tweezers (Nordstrom Beauty Exclusive, Shu Uemura Slant Tweezers, MAC 204 Lash Brush
Trish McEvoy Lash Curler from the Trish McEvoy website, but also found at select Nordstroms, Saks, Bloomingdales, Neiman Marcus, Henri Bendel locations.
Uncategorized
MAC Smoke & Diamonds Starflash Eyeshadow & Sweet Sienna Pigment Comparisons
July 29, 2009
1. MAC Coco Pigment
2. MAC Sweet Sienna Pigment
3. MAC Smoke & Diamonds Starflash Eyeshadow
4. Stila Diamond Lil Eyeshadow
5. Dior Sky Glow Quint
6. Dior Sky Glow Quint
7. MAC Clue Eyeshadow
8. Shu Uemura ME Brown 850
The swatches really don’t do the colors justice, but at least it will help you see the general undertone of these cool taupe shades. The undertones are similar, but the shimmer/iridescent effects of each shade are different. MAC Sweet Sienna looks darker than the swatch shows with deeper sparkles. I definitely recommend trying these in person first before writing these all off as dupes.