I have some beautiful items from Burberry Beauty to share soon. The design of the fall beauty collection is a reflection on the artistic themes of the A/W14 runway looks, features pigmented tones and hand-painted effects in a colour palette of bottle green, elderberry and ink blue. For the fall beauty look, the collection’s new releases include:
You can find the items now at Burberry, Nordstrom and Saks. Stay tuned for nail polish swatches to be posted shortly. I hope to have the quads reviewed later this week, but I’ll say right now I’m 100% in love with the rich colors of the nail polishes.
Many thanks to Burberry for sending these items for review consideration.
I’m always a fan of liquid highlighters that give a nice luminous glow, especially ones that have just the right consistency to mix in with foundations. Finding ones that are warm enough in color with just the right amount of shimmer for my medium olive skin isn’t easy. There are a number of liquid highlighters on the market that are perfect for highlighting that are very shimmery or pale in color. Finding the right one to mix product in with foundation or use as an all over primer is tricky for me because I prefer ones that are beige, golden, yellow or darker in color. I had been eyeing the By Terry Cellularose Brightening CC Lumi Serums ($89 for 30 ml/1 fl oz) for quite some time and finally splurged over the summer on Apricot Glow No. 3 and Sunny Flash No. 4. I’ve been very pleased with both.
The By Terry Cellularose Brightening CC Lumi-Serum is a color correcting fluid. It has a nice smooth texture that blends in nicely with the skin. By Terry calls these “color control radiance elixirs.” The reps that have helped me at Space NK and Barneys explained that these are called serums because of the ingredients inside these that help smooth and nourish skin while brightening dark spots. I’m not sure if the serum actually helps lighten dark spots or just lightens the look of dark spots. I haven’t used this long enough to see results of dark spots fading. Over the past four months that I’ve been using these, I haven’t noticed dark spots fade, although this does really help to even the look of the skin and creates a lovely glow.
There are four different shades, I tested a sample packet of all four and prefer the options 3 and 4 because they work best with my skin tone. You can use these individually or mix them together to get different effects. Due to the high price of these I haven’t splurged on the other two.
Swatches with different lighting shows how soft these liquids are, they have a subtle luminous glow that is visible but not too shimmery, these have a soft rose scent that is really soothing and not overpowering. However if you have an extra sensitive nose, you may want to test in person before splurging:
Out of the four shade options, I picked out Apricot Glow which is their universally flattering shade for fair to medium skin tones and Sunny Flash which is the bronzed version. I really like how Apricot Glow has a yellow-peach undertone which flatters my medium olive skin. There is a subtle pearlescent quality in it that flashes slight hints of pink, but it’s predominantly golden and peach which I find adds that perfect glow when used all over the face. I like this as a primer to give a healthy looking radiant effect. If you add foundation and powder on top, you won’t see the glow as much but I do see a visible difference in the overall look. I like this one mixed in with foundation as well.
Sunny Flash is a shade darker than my skintone but I like this mixed in with foundations to warm them up. I also like this layered on top of the cheeks or eyes to add a bit of depth and warmth. If you add powder or foundation on top, you won’t see as much of the glow but I really like how this looks to smooth out the skin and cheek area. It has enough color to give a very slight contour. It has visible shimmer in it so it makes the skin glow, but not too much.
The serums come with an easy to use pump dispenser:
Some comparisons to other highlighters and illuminators. All of these have beautiful shimmery particles which make them look different depending on how the light interacts with the highlighters. I’ve taken three different swatch shots to show the base color along with the luminescent quality:
I’m really pleased with both. Many highlighters look good for a few hours if I use them all over the face or mixed in with foundations but end up looking too dewy by early afternoon. The By Terry Cellularose Brightening CC Lumi Serums have a thinner texture that isn’t quite as emollient as others which I find makes them last longer on the skin. You get the nice glow without looking greasy in a few hours. I found them both suitable for my super sensitive skin, neither clogged or emphasized pores, although I did find they looked best when used over well-moisturized skin. At $89 each these are quite expensive. I haven’t found anything quite like Apricot Glow though, it’s a very unique golden apricot color which I’ve been looking for what seems like forever. I highly recommend both.
Ingredients:
The By Terry Cellularose Brightening CC Lumi-Serums come in four shades. They retail for $89 each, available at Space NK and Barneys New York.
PS If you have been waiting to splurge, you may want to take advantage of Space NK’s Discover Promotion which ends on 10/21 for $20 off a $75 purchase with code DISCOVER20.
Rescue Beauty Lounge is having a promotion where you buy 2 nail polishes and get 1 free with world-wide free shipping! The offer is good now through Monday 10/20/2014 noon EST. There are a few exclusions, the promotion excludes Italian Summer and Anatomy of a #Kdrama. The following colors are excluded from this promotion: Oh Slap!, Monologue, Cue The Montage, Instant Amnesia, Not Your Baby, Will They Won’t They, Burn The Evidence, Gondoliere , Motorini, Oliveto, Bicicletta, Gelato Al Cioccolato, Meow Meow and Melanzane but are eligible for worldwide free shipping.
I’m a huge fan of Formula X line and have been particularly impressed with the way The System works to extend manicure wear. Several of you have asked for a follow up post to my original one back in May wanting to see nail shots of my Formula X manicure through the course of a week. I’ve put the color in Blazing to the test for the Formula X Challenge. My manicure lasted quite well for almost an entire week. My husband and I have been busy packing boxes and bubble wrapping fragile items for our move and my manicure still managed to survive. For those new to the Formula X System, it’s a set that comes with four easy to use items:
Nail Cleanser – An essential step that frees nails of residue and oil,
optimizing base coat and lacquer adherence
Base Coat – An advanced
adhesive primer containing essential bonding agents that form a sticky
layer to fuse with your lacquer
Nail Color Of Your Choice – Choose from
over 200 Formula X shades and effects
Top Coat – A super glossy,
state-of-the-art, long-wearing final step that enhances your lacquer’s
shine and performance, this helps extend your nail polish like no other
The color I’ve tested is Blazing which is a rich shimmery wine-red. It applies very smoothly with two coats. The first coat will look a bit sheer, but it levels out perfectly with the second coat. Even though it’s more of a metallic, it doesn’t have visible brush strokes which is a huge plus for me. It has a multi-dimensional look because there are different colors of shimmers infused throughout the polish. There’s a mix of deep red, bright red, pearl and plum. It looks different depending on how the light hits the nails. Sometimes it’s clearly red. Other times it looks more cool-toned and more plum. I’m obsessed.
The System is super easy to use and apply on your own. I’ve found the nail cleanser makes a huge difference in helping your polish adhere better to the nail by prepping the surface of your nails. Below are Steps 1 through 4 to apply polish with the Formula X System:
Below is my Formula X manicure over the course of 6 Days. Your mileage may vary with polish lasting power depending on nail length and everyday activity. I usually cover the end/tip of the nail with a thin dab of polish and smooth it with top coat over the edges to help the color last longer. If you type a lot for work, longer nails may be subject to tip wear faster, especially if your nails tend to hit the keys frequently. I try to keep mine on the short side and hold my hands relatively flat when I type, but the tips of my index and middle finger have more surface contact compared to my other fingers and end up getting tip wear first.
Day 4 and still perfect:
On Day 5, I started to see slight tip wear on index and middle fingers, I attribute this to packing boxes and extensive use of bubble wrap and tape for our move:
I’ve had really good results with the Formula X nail colors and System set. I know many of you have chimed in with comments on past posts and also raved. I highly recommend a visit to their dedicated website www.formulax.com. It’s a nail art destination for Formula X fans to browse images and get inspired. It’s filled with clickable images of nail products and looks. You can also click on any interesting color palette for ideas on Formula X shade color combinations. Formula X fans can then upload their own nail looks right to the website, or with tag Instagram images with #myformulaxpic and have their nail look appear on the inspiration grid.
Right now, you can visit their website for a chance to experience The System yourself with the Formula X Sweepstakes. They are giving away 150 Formula X System Kits (terms and official rules apply). Entries will be collected through October 28, 2014 at 11:59 p.m. PST (must be a US resident and 18 years or older).
To stay up to date with the latest and for more inspiration be sure to follow Formula X on Instagram @formulax, Twitter @formulax, Facebook or Pinterest.
Have you tried Formula X? What colors are your favorites?
Many thanks to Formula X for sponsoring this post. For more information, refer to my Disclosures page.
Lipstick Queen’s latest Silver Screen Collection which features seven new shades of lipstick cased in a super glamorous silver bullet tube ($50 each for 0.12 oz/3.5 g, made in Canada). The Silver Screen Collection lipsticks have a rich lush formula that give rich coverage with a glossy finish. According to Lipstick Queen, these contain a high percentage of an innovative new active ingredient Pomegranate Sterols derived from the pomegranate fruit, which improves the barrier-function of the lips, keeping them soft and hydrated for longer. It’s further enhanced with anti-oxidant vitamin E, moisturizing plant oils, beeswax and skin-perfecting vitamin A, which ensure lips stay nourished and comfortable all day long. These have a high quality peppermint oil which gives this a fresh feel to the lips without tingling or irritation.
I have the shade in You Kid to share with you today. It’s described as an “understated yet eye-catching nude” and I couldn’t find better words to describe it. It’s a beautiful full-coverage lipstick that has a naturally glossy finish to make the lips look like they have a natural shine. It might seem quite basic but, I actually find You Kid to be a unique nude. It has a good mix of pink and beige in it so in some light it looks more pink while in others it looks more nude. It has enough color that it doesn’t wash out the complexion or make the lips look too pale. This is probably one of the easiest-to-wear nudes I’ve ever tried. There’s no shimmer in it, it’s a straight cream with a super moisturizing feel.
At $50 each, you may be super hesitant to jump and buy one. I’ve tried a number of Lipstick Queen lipsticks and the Silver Screen formula is definitely superior to the Saint and Sinner formulas. Silver Screen is super moisturizing, lush and glides on the lips flawlessly. Lasting power is quite good for me lasting several hours if the lips remain untouched. The price for these lipsticks is rather steep but Lipstick Queen went all out with design and formulation of these lipsticks. The formula is one of the best I’ve tried. It feels absolutely amazing on the lips. The packaging is heavy in weight and luxurious in design with a magnetic base so it snaps shut when you put the lid on it.
Indoor lighting shows it to be a bit more pinkish:
You Kid is bottom line flawless, but I don’t know how I feel about the $50 price tag. For any lip product priced over $35, I am usually very picky with color, formula, texture and scent and no matter how amazing it is, I still can’t really get over the sticker shock (except for items from Tom Ford). The Lipstick Queen Silver Screen formula is really phenomenal, but I’ll have to investigate the other shades in person and do more testing before I splurge. That being said, if these interest you, you might want to take advantage of the Space NK Discovery Promotion (online for US) which offers $20 off any $75+ order with code DISCOVER20 at checkout, good through the 21st of October.
You can find the Lipstick Queen Silver Screen Collection online at Lipstick Queen, Space NK and Space NK stores. Have you tried any of the Silver Screen collection lipsticks?
The Lipstick Queen lipstick was a press sample provided for review consideration.
Space NK launches their Discover Promotion for US online shoppers to discover something new with a limited-time offer of $20 off a purchase of $75 or more. The promotion begins Tuesday, October 14 at Space NK and ends midnight EST on Tuesday, October 21 with code DISCOVER20 at checkout.
Space NK is also offering free ground shipping and three samples of their choice with your order for this promo.
A selection of the latest introductions at Space NK includes:
By Terry Densiliss Collection: It began with a serum-foundation, which launched to great acclaim last year. Now, By Terry extends the Densiliss collection with four new products that combine advanced skincare with makeup
Lipstick Queen Silver Screen Collection: Color-rich, long-wearing, super moisturizing lipsticks inspired by the golden age of Hollywood. Founder Poppy King says, “If this lipstick could walk, it would sashay.”
Diptyque Ambre Candle: The warm, woody fragrance with vetiver and patchouli is presented in a new amber-colored handmade glass and sets the perfect mood for fall
JINsoon Tess Giberson Collection: “The five new polishes transform a classic color palette by adding cool, subtle effects like shimmer and speckles to give the hues a completely new dimension,” said founder Jin Soon Choi.
To enjoy the Discover Offer, be sure to enter promo code DISCOVER20 at checkout.
Tag your discoveries on Instagram and Twitter @spacenkusa using #DiscoverSpaceNK.
Terms and conditions apply: US customers only. Online only at Space NK (US). One per customer. Sale and gift cards excluded from promotion. The limited-time offer of $20 off a purchase of $75 or more promotion begins Tuesday, October 14 at Space NK and ends midnight EST on Tuesday, October 21 with code DISCOVER20 at checkout.
I’ve been busy with a move, I didn’t plan to take a break from blogging but ended up having to take a few days off. I have quite a few new things I’m excited to share with you and hope to get everything unpacked from boxes in the next few days. In the meantime, here are some new things that have popped up online in the beauty world. Holiday collections and new releases are trickling in each day.
Diptyque has three new scents coming out this holiday in Spice, Winter and Resin (1). Three are available online at Neiman Marcus in the large size. If you are near a Diptyque Boutique, they will have an exclusive in-store one-day preview this Wednesday October 15 before it is released officially in November. (These will also be available in the smaller sizes too.)
Marc Jacobs Beauty The Sky-Liner Set (2) has 7 mini Highliner Gel Pencil set for the holidays. It has in O(vert) (forest green), Brown(out) (bronze with shimmer), Th(ink) (deep navy), (Plum)age (vivid purple), Blacquer (black), Sunset (golden bronze shimmer), Midnight in Paris (inky indigo blue). This is on my wish list.
Oribe Liquid Gold Set (4) has mini 50 ml sizes of the Gold Lust Shampoo, Conditioner and Hair Oil. I tried a couple sample packets of the shampoo and conditioner and fell head over heels. I have some other shampoos I’m currently using now, so I may wait and get this set once those are used up.
Dior has added more shades to their 5 Couleurs Eyeshadow Palette line (5). I have Cuir Cannage and Versaille to share soon. There will be two limited-edition options for holiday as well in Golden Shock and Golden Reflections.
Tom Ford Beauty has new matte lipsticks for the holiday (6). I am normally not a fan of matte lips but saw these last week and splurged on four shades. The colors currently available are Pink Tease, Pussycat, Ruby Rush, Plum Lush, Flame, First Time and Velvet Cherry.
Bobbi Brown has several holiday items and sets this year (7). There are some really pretty items from the Scotch on the Rocks collection. I played with these briefly at the counter a few days ago. I have my eye on the Bronze Glow Highlight Powder, Black Scotch Gel Liner, Scotch Nail Polish, Bellini and Gold Glitter Lipgloss, I will need to play more before deciding whether or not these will be too shimmery or not.
I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! I will resume posting as soon as I can, in the meantime I’d love to hear what’s on your beauty radar 🙂
