Browsing Category

Uncategorized

Uncategorized

YSL Rouge Volupté Shines

February 15, 2013

YSL’s latest is a new formula of lipstick called Rouge Volupté Shine ($34 each Nordstrom). I ordered mine direct from YSL a few months ago and have fallen head over heels in love with the shades I’ve tried.
  • No 07 Rose Infinite is a natural semi-deep rose plum. It has semi-sheer coverage but you can adjust the intensity. On the lips the intensity of the color increases if you swipe it back and forth 3 times. Applying a similar-toned lip liner first will help the color last.
  • No 08 Pink in Confidence is a soft neutral pink but leans slightly cool on my lips. It has a Chanel Rouge Coco Shine Boy feel in color but the YSL is more pigmented and slightly lighter on me.
  • No 09 Nude in Private is a warm peach. As with all the shades there are subtle sparkles in the tube but on the lips the shimmer and sparkle isn’t very visible.
  • No 11 Beige Instinct is a neutral nude shimmer. In the photo below it looks warm because of the lighting, in real life it’s really more flesh toned.
  • No 15 Corail Intuitive is a shade I picked up at a later date, it’s similar to No 08 Nude in Private but more peach with a brighter look.

Swatched on my arm you can see for a sheer lipstick there is quite a bit of color payoff. Since these are sheer they are still slightly transparent. These have a shiny glossy finish.

Here are swatches in direct sunlight without a flash so you can see the base color better:

I’ve been dragging my feet on reviewing these mainly because of lip swatches. These are difficult for me to capture accurately and it’s hard for me to get consistent lighting but here’s my best attempt. As always note your mileage will vary. I have pigmented lips and olive skin, so these will most likely look different on you.

Right now I’m short on time so I can’t do swatch comparisons to other shades or brands. I would say these are a huge improvement from the Rouge Volupté Perles in texture (less gritty) and formula (smoother) and finish (more natural). These are much easier to apply compared to the original Rouge Volupté formula and the sheer/glossy/shimmer makes it more naturally flattering to the lips. Compared to Chanel Rouge Coco Shines I think these have a similar finish in terms of the shine and gloss but with a bit more pigment (very slight). I haven’t tried other shades like the brights or darks but I can’t wait to experiment.

After searching online it appears most of the shades are online at YSL, but some retailers have select shades (I haven’t confirmed instore though). Nordstrom’s exclusive is No 17 Rose in Tension. Saks’ exclusive is No 18 Prune in Fire. Neiman’s exclusive is No 16 Orange Impertinent.

For quick reference, see a few shades swatched at Best Things in Beauty and all the shades swatched on Kais Obsessions.

Have you tried the Rouge Volupté Shines? What’s your favorite Rouge Volupté formula or color?

25 Comments
Uncategorized

Le Métier de Beauté Ultra Hydration Eye Mask Duo

February 10, 2013
Press Sample        

Le Métier de Beauté’s latest in skincare is their Ultra Hydration Eye Mask Duo ($150 for a set of 8 duos). They kindly sent one duo to test. The Ultra Hydration Eye Mask Duos come in individually sealed packets. Inside are two seaweed-based discs cased in a thin tray. The discs are shaped to fit the under-eye area and are designed to be placed under the eye area for 15 minutes. Le Métier de Beauté says that these eye masks will hydrate, re-energize, restore, diminish redness, sooth lines and reduce under-eye puffiness. How did the masks hold up for me? This is what I experienced:
I applied these Sunday morning after cleansing my face. The packets have a convenient peel-back corner making them easy to open, however the design of the discs in the tray seemed to be on the delicate side so I recommend opening on a solid flat surface. The discs themselves were flexible and easy to apply and felt like second skin. Upon application my eyes felt an instant soothing cooling sensation. I liked that they adhered well to the skin without feeling tight. I don’t think I’ve ever felt anything this good on my eyes – 15 minutes later I didn’t want to take the discs off (but I did). I’m at the stage in my life where I don’t have under-eye wrinkles or lines (yet) but in the mornings I do have extra under-eye puffiness so I am religious with my morning coffee or espresso to help me wake up and reduce puffiness slightly.
The main difference for before/after was in the overall feel of the under-eye area. My eyes felt well-hydrated and significantly less puffier than they normally are in the mornings. I suspect that the eye mask performance is similar to other skincare items in the sense that you can only really measure the impact to one’s skin after extended use. Still, the way the mask felt on my eye blew me away. While the price is a bit steep at $150 per set of 8 (breaks down to $18.75 per duo) I am ready to splurge on a full set. These are packaged conveniently to easily slip into one’s purse or gym bag. The way these de-puff make these a must-have for me for beauty emergency or work/stress meltdown situations. (I could have used one of these about six months ago at work.)
As far as I know, these have hit stores now. They are expected to be released online soon (will update when I find out more information). Are these must-haves? For me yes – I will be ordering soon (I’m waiting for a counter to have a really good gift-with-purchase promotion). The ingredient listing below:

A few other things from Le Métier de Beauté that might interest you:

  • There’s an 18-pan eye shadow palette coming out for spring, retailing for $95. It has a mixture of previously released shades and new colors. I have yet to see it in person but Scott Reyes from Neiman Marcus Beverly Hills kindly sent me a few photos from his counter.
  • In addition, Neiman Marcus Beverly Hills released two exclusive lip crèmes last year called Bloom (flesh-cream nude) and Catherine (pale champagne frost), $36 each. I called them a few days ago and they still has some left in stock. I haven’t reviewed them, but I will include a few photos below. From my testing – these are VERY nude and pale. For me they work best when mixed with other shades. For more detailed info and excellent reviews, I highly recommend you check out Beauty Professor and Cogitation Project.
Palette photo courtesy of Neiman Marcus Beverly Hills. Gloss photos my own.
All items are limited. (Click for larger viewing.)

Neiman’s Beauty Week is coming up on the 23rd of February. If you’re interested I recommend calling soon for a pre-sale. I’d recommend Neiman Marcus Beverly Hills (310) 550-5900 Ext. 2087/2027 (especially if you’re interested in their exclusive glosses) and ask for Scott Reyes. Tell them I sent you!
Have you tried Le Métier de Beauté Ultra Hydration Eye Mask Duo? Or other Le Métier de Beauté skincare items? What were your thoughts?
This post contains a press sample sent free of charge for review. For additional information please refer to the About/FAQ section.
15 Comments
Uncategorized

NARS Disco Inferno Nail Polish – Spring 2013

February 9, 2013

NARS has released a new nail polish for spring called Disco Inferno, a complex sheer sparkly metallic ($19). I’ve never found a nail polish so difficult to describe. It’s almost duo-chrome, but not quite. On me it’s an iridescent grey-purple-opal-blue infused with tiny silver micro sparkle flecks. Sometimes it flashes a hint of green, but on me it’s mostly purple-blueish. It has a 90s-ish feel – reminiscent of edgy metallics from the early Urban Decay/Hard Candy days, and some older Chanels like Fluorine and Metal Argent. As most have reported, Disco Inferno is quite sheer. Even with three coats it still has a slight transparent finish where you can see the nail tips underneath. I think it’s beautiful although I do feel that it is slightly too edgy to wear to a conservative work office.
Here it is swatched with three coats:

There’s nothing quite like it in my current nail polish collection. The most similar color I own is OPI’s Not Like the Movies (looks more similar on the nails than on the nail wheel or in the bottle). OPI’s The World is Not Enough has a similar edgy feel with a transparent finish but is still quite different.

Nail wheels have four coats (all shades are sheerish):

Nail swatch comparisons have three coats:

Bottom line gorgeous and listed as limited-edition. Available online at Narscosmetics.com.
15 Comments
Uncategorized

Sunday Reading

February 3, 2013

Happy Sunday to everyone! Hope you are enjoying the last bits of your weekend. Currently loving these right now:
  • Happy Blog Birthday to Paris in Four Months! I hope there are many more years to come of your beautiful photographs!
  • Café Makeup has an excellent review on the new NARS powders comparing the pressed and loose
  • Rouge Deluxe features a preview of Bobbi Brown’s Lilac Rose collection coming out for spring
  • Makeup and Beauty Blog shows us some of the new nail polishes coming out from Dior
  • The Non-Blonde has convinced me I need the NARS Happening Palette
  • Temptalia has the full roundup of MAC’s Archie’s Girls Collection
  • Kais Obsessions brings us a first look at the new Western Light and Eastern Light nail polishes from Chanel
8 Comments
Uncategorized

Burberry Siren Red Light Glow Blushes – Coral Pink No. 9 and Hydrangea Pink No. 10

February 2, 2013
Affiliate Links        

Burberry’s Spring 2013 Siren Red Collection brings us two bright blushes with rich pigment. The two shades are Coral Pink No. 09 and Hydrangea Pink No. 10 ($42 each for 7g.0.24 oz, available on Nordstrom.com). Both shades are quite pigmented and due to the intensity of these shades I find they need a bit of extra work to apply. Each shade requires careful application with lots of blending. I found that no matter what brush I used, all applications required a lot of blending. I found layering over a soft powder highlighter to diffuse the intensity a bit.


Coral Pink No. 09 is deep warm rose pink with a very slight hint of coral. In the compact and on the skin, Coral Pink pulls more rose. Hydrangea Pink No. 10 is it’s deeper more intense sister with a slightly dustier-looking finish on the skin. Both shades go on matte but have a subtle satiny shimmer in the compact.
I tested each shade (one on each side) to compare. On the skin they have a very similar effect. If I had to pick one, I would say Coral Pink No. 09 wins my heart. The hint of coral in it brightens the face and makes my olive skin come to life. Hydrangea Pink No. 10 is a bit darker and dustier-looking on my skintone (but not muddy). The colors are indeed very intense. I’m all about bright colors for cheeks but the intensity of these these might make them outside your comfort zone. These are among the most intense blushes I’ve tried. I found the colors unique compared to others that I own. Scroll down for a few comparisons.
Coral Pink No. 09:
Hydrangea Pink No. 10:
Swatched side by side:
Swatches were difficult for me to capture accurately, in my photos I would say they pull a bit warmer than what you would see in real life. I recommend checking out blogs for swatches like Café Makeup and Lola’s Secret Beauty Blog.

Per request, I compared these to a few other blushes. Below: Burberry Cameo No. 02, Rose No. 03, Tom Ford Narcissist.

Bottom line: lovely, unique and fresh. To recap, if I had to pick one, I personally would go for Coral Pink No. 09, but they are both very pretty. I do think they are different enough to justify purchasing both though. They are bright and intense, but blendable and don’t appear muddy on the skin like some intense blushes can be. There is a very very slight rose scent but it disappears after a few minutes. I have a super sensitive nose and it does not bother me at all.
These Burberry Beauty can be found at select Nordstrom counters and online at Nordstrom – Burberry Siren Red Light Glow Natural Blush.

A few references:

  • Nordstrom Burberry Counter Locations listed here.
  • Burberry Blushes (all) photographed and swatched here.
Did you check out the spring collection from Burberry? What were your thoughts?
This review contains affiliate links. For more information, please refer to the About/FAQ section.
17 Comments
Uncategorized

Burberry Beauty Mallow Pink, Pink Sweet Pea and Coral Lip Glow

January 29, 2013

Burberry has released a few new lip glosses for spring. The ones available at the Nordstrom counters include Lip Glows ($27 each) in Mallow Pink No. 19 (bright coral red), Pink Sweet Pea No. 20 (hot fuschia glow) and Coral No. 22 (sparkling orange). These colors are vibrant and unlike anything else in the Burberry Beauty line. Being the neutral-lover that I am, I was a bit intimidated by the shades but decided to give them a try. The shades are very pigmented with a high-gloss shine. After playing with these over the weekend I’ve decided they will be lovely for going out or special occasions. For my medium toned skin, coral is the only one that I feel I can pull off comfortably at the office or for everyday.

Swatches:

I could only get one lip swatch, here is Mallow Pink No. 19 (sorry for the crappy quality, this was taken with my iPhone):

Swatch comparisons below show how vibrant and rich the Burberry spring glosses are. There is a slightly transparent quality because of the gloss formula, but the spring colors are highly pigmented. Below MAC Astral, Lé Métier Hibiskiss, Burberry Mallow Pink, Burberry Pink Sweet Pea, Burberry Coral, Chanel Désir 168, Chanel Nakkar 149, Burberry Cameo:

Overall thumbs up. Beautiful vibrant shades that are very wearable. For me, Coral is the only one I can safely pull off everyday, the others work but are more color than I’m used to. Still, the pigment and shine is just incredible. Lasting power was medium – better than Chanel glossimers, but not quite as long as say Bobbi Brown.

Have you tried Burberry’s spring lip glosses yet? 

28 Comments