A quick peek at the new blush and highlighter from Chanel’s fall 2012 collection: Rose Initiale #72 Powder Blush and Lumière d’Artifices Beiges. A more detailed review on each item to come soon.
In natural sunlight:
Under artificial light you can see the sheen of both a bit better:
Those who missed out on Le Métier de Beauté’s Blush Kaleidoscope ($95) last year will be thrilled to learn that the kit has been released to all Le Métier counters and is now a permanent item in their line (yes, it’s the same one as the first issue from Troy, Michigan). I was one of those who waited and missed, but as soon as I heard it was arriving to all stores, I immediately put myself on the waiting list. Thank you Le Métier de Beauté for reissuing this!
Le Métier de Beauté describes this as a wardrobe for the cheeks and I couldn’t describe it better. Their blush theory is similar to what I’ve experienced with many other lines, according to Le Métier de Beauté’s Director of Color Mikey Castillo:
“When we blush it’s not one shade; it’s a prismatic multitude of color. To express how you feel or the feeling you want to evoke, you need to layer color for that perfect flush. In order to create dimension, there must be at least two pigments that are contrasting in tone or texture. For instance, matte with sheen, satin with matte, pink with coral, or mauve with bronze. Layering multiple shades eliminates flatness while bring vitality to the skin- this is true of color whether it is on the eyes, lips, or cheeks.”
While the concept of layering blushes isn’t new, I think the combination of these particular blush shades in one kit is fresh and unique. I love that this kit offers so many options allowing you to be the artist and create your own custom blend of color to suit a diverse range of looks. The shades from top to bottom include a matte peach with a satiny finish, a matte rose pink with a hint of brown, a shimmering golden honey, a frosted pale cool pink. They are naturally flattering but not boring neutrals. The texture of the blushes are a finely milled powder that allows you to control the intensity of pigment depending on how much you layer or how dense a blush brush you use.
Here are more close ups of the blushes swatched on my skin, also compared to two other blushes from Le Métier de Beauté, Fresh and Whisper. Those afraid of shimmer need not fear this one. I found the frosted shades applied more heavily on my arm and that the flash emphasized the shimmer. On the skin they blend nicely and softly without being too shimmery.
I believe this kit is a must-have for all Le Métier de Beauté lovers. The colors are different enough from the current line of singles to justify owning. I asked Le Métier de Beauté if they planned on offering the shades individually but at this time it appears they do not. I think the kit is more than worth it. Those who are new to the line will find this Blush Kaleidoscope Kit a beautiful introduction to the brand. It’s perfectly fresh for spring and summer. Suitable for everyday and great for night as well. As someone who always layers 2-3 colors on the cheeks (sometimes bronzer as the first layer, plus blush and then a soft swipe of highlighter), I love love love this kit. It’s pure genius.
When this arrived at my local Neimans it sold out as soon as it arrived due to the wait list. Don’t fret – while your counter might be sold out of the first shipment, I’ve been told that they expect to receive more soon. It should be arriving at other Le Métier de Beauté counters this month as well. I am hoping to snag one more for Mother’s Day.
A quick look at the latest from Le Métier de Beauté: re-release of their limited Blush Kaleidoscope (swoon!) and Limited-Edition Haute House Hues Lip Crème Lip Gloss Duo in Mum’s the Word and Two Lips and the new Snappy Dragon Nail Lacquer. More detailed thoughts, photos and swatches to come this evening, but I can tell you – call your Neimans counter ASAP if you’re interested. The Blush Kit arrived in very limited supply.
Sunday Riley Blushes have me thoroughly impressed. While at Barneys I thought all the blushes looked amazing but limited myself to just two. (After all I caved on four of her eyeshadows, reviewed a few days ago here.) I purchased Blushing, a soft light natural glowing pink on the left, and Honest, a shimmering tawny peach on the right ($30 each for 0.1 oz/3 g). Both come packaged in a sturdy square mirrored compact in a little black pouch embossed with Sunday Riley’s name and logo on top.
I think I may have just found pink perfection in Blushing. The Non-Blonde and Product Doctor can confirm how wonderful this color is (and both lovely ladies have completely different skintones than I do). Soft natural pink blushes are a dime a dozen, but Sunday Riley’s Blushing is a cut above. It has a natural undertone and enough pink with a hint of shimmer to look like a perfect natural light blush. It doesn’t turn muddy or darken with brown tones on the skin. It doesn’t apply ashy or too pigmented. It really is as good as it gets. I wasn’t able to get comparison shots before the sun went down, here are a few lined up to compare. I thought it resembled Bobbi Brown’s Antigua the most, but on the face, BB’s can darken a bit and look muddy if you get the slightest bit oily. Sunday Riley’s Blushing holds up better without darkening.
Honest is equally stunning. It’s a shimmering peach with a hint of nude tones. In the compact it looks quite shimmery but on the face it applies beautifully and natural. Peach lovers, take note, I think it’s something you must try on in person if you’re near a Barneys. Both blushes are rich in pigment with a soft blendable texture. There is a slight powdery scent but it’s not very noticeable.
Side by side, Blushing and Honest, plus swatches below:
I couldn’t fit all the blushes and comparisons on one arm, so I only picked a few to swipe side by side. Do take into account that my swatches tend to look more shimmery due to the flash than these apply in real life. Swatching is hard work, please take these with a grain of salt and check other blogs for different views/angles/lighting:
Overall, I’m in love. These blushes are truly amazing in the sense that they apply beautifully and flawlessly on the skin without changing color as the skin warms up. No tweaking required at all with either of these. They have just enough color to be visible and brighten the face but they are also natural enough that they won’t overpower or overwhelm your look. Both shades can be easily worn year round for a number of looks and occasions. Although I’ve only tried a few shadows and blushes, I adore what I’ve bought. Many thanks to Gaia from The Non-Blonde for helping us all discover Sunday Riley’s cosmetic line. I have a few sample packets of her skincare which I can’t wait to try. My next trip to Barneys can’t come soon enough.
This past weekend I had a much needed girls’-day-out in LA. On our list was a stop at Neiman Marcus Beverly Hills to check out the newly launched Tom Ford beauty line and of course our favorite girls at the Edward Bess counter. I didn’t expect to see anything new from his line (although I’ve been eagerly waiting for his eye bases to be released) but spotted a new Quad Royale in Monte Carlo 02 a beautiful highlighter quad of peachy goodness ($45 for 0.25 oz/7g). Being the peach fanatic and EB fan that I am, I snapped one up immediately without even trying it at the counter (I had other blushes on that I was testing from another brand).
Monte Carlo 02 is the third Quad Royale face highlighter Edward Bess has released. It has four colors in a black mirrored compact, all different variations and intensities of peach shimmer. The lightest shade is a pale champagne but the others are darker and more pigmented. I previously featured Summer in Capri 03 and South of France 01 in prior months and love layering them over his Daydream Bronzer or other blushes to add a soft glow. I find they are perfect for my medium skintone to add a subtle highlight to brighten the face. Monte Carlo is also a highlighter but I find the colors darker so this could also work as a blush. I do find it more pigmented and more shimmery than the others but in a beautiful sense (it’s not overly frosted). The texture is similar to that of the other quad royales: smooth, finely milled shimmer and easy to blend on the face for a natural glow. I do find it a bit harder in texture compared to his original version of the Daydream bronzer which is the one I have featured in the past. The Quad Royale still applies smoothly and easily on the skin. Monte Carlo has no detectable scent. I love the brush that comes in the compact – it’s a step up from most compacts other brands have and is usable to dust the cheeks evenly with color. Here are all 3 of Edward’s face quads plus a few more close up shots:
Outdoors, cloudy lighting, no flash:
Ingredient listing (clickable for larger viewing):
On the face it applies shimmery. I have worn this as a blush alone but prefer this layered over another semi-matte to fully-matte product (whether it is blush or bronzer). I was hoping for sun this weekend but it was overcast. Here are the best swatches I could manage:
A few comparisons to other peachy blushes and bronzers. There are others I could have pulled but right now I am limited on time so I pulled a small sample to help give you an idea of the color. Please note that right now I do not have time to accommodate extra comparison or dupe requests.
Swatched left to right: Bobbi Brown Nectar Shimmerbrick, Dior Aurora, Edward Bess Summer in Capri, Edward Bess Monte Carlo, MAC Ripe Peach
Bottom line: love. It gives a natural peachy glow with a subtle refined shimmer. Pigment is sheer but noticeable on the skin with one swipe and it is also layerable for more color. If you have Summer in Capri, do you need Monte Carlo? They are similar in color but the Summer in Capri has bigger portions of lighter shades while Monte Carlo has more peach. I think they are different enough to justify both. Is Monte Carlo a must-have? In my opinion yes, even with the dozens of peachy shimmers I already own, yes.
As of this past weekend I was not able to find this anywhere online for sale. I do know the Beverly Hills Neiman Marcus counter has this. I highly recommend you call them to order if you’re interested. I have not yet checked with the Bergdorfs counter.
This spring, Bobbi Brown has a created new twist on her classic nudes with a Neon & Nudes collection. Her spring color palette has a mixture of nudes with shocking brights. I of course was drawn to her nudes: the eye palette and blushes. I found the new Ultra Nude Eyeshadow Palette was very tempting. The colors seem goof-proof, naturally flattering and perfect for everyday wear. I was particularly impressed by the dual-ended brush. One side is angled and very dense and seemed to be of extremely good quality (an improvement in my opinion, the brushes in her palettes are hit or miss). However, given my recent purchases of Urban Decay Naked 2 and Burberry Pale Barley Eyeshadow, I decided to pass for now. I left the counter with her two new blushes in Nude Peach and Nude Pink. (Swatches of the entire collection is featured on Yuki’s Lazy Channel.)
Nude Peach and Nude Pink ($24 each) are gorgeous classic neutrals true to Bobbi Brown’s style. Nude Peach is a soft peach with a hint of shimmer (although I can’t see any shimmer once applied on the skin). Nude Pink is a soft cool matte pale pink. Both colors fill in gaps in her current blush lineup for lighter neutrals. At the counter they swatched on the hand light, but do not let this deter you from trying them on the face. A good blush brush picks up the powder (which is easy to blend) to apply decent pigment to the face with just two swipes. Today I’ve layered the peach on top of the pink although you can wear both alone for a soft natural cheek. I was very pleased with the pigment and the colors do show up well on the skin.
Since neutral peaches and pinks are basic staples I’m sure there are dupes. I couldn’t find any among my MAC, Chanel, Burberry, Armani or Bobbi Brown shades (the blushes I use the most), but I didn’t spend a lot of time searching. I pulled a few other shades to compare for you though. Still I find these naturally flattering and light enough that they don’t pull brown from darkening as your skin warms up. I adore Bobbi Brown’s blushes but I find some of her neutrals with brownish tones like Slopes and Tawny darken on my skin and end up looking harsh when I’m paler.
Overall thoughts: Fresh and brightening and perfect for spring. Nude Peach and Nude Pink are colors that I envision will be very easy to incorporate into any look as they will naturally enhance your complexion to brighten the face and not overpower dramatic eyes or lips.
The new Blush Horizon de Chanel ($58) is the star product of the Harmonie de Printemps Collection for Spring 2012. The new Glowing Blush Harmony is a stunning palette of soft luminous pinks, white, plum, peachy-pink and gold. I believe this will be a universally flattering pink. It has a good mixture of cool and warm tones with the alternating stripes. There are several variations of pink to suit everyone’s taste. This powder I took a soft blush brush and swirled the colors together before applying. On the face this is a very soft glowing pink, not overly frosty, but a hint of shimmer is visible on the face. Each stripe appears to have a different degree of shimmer which I find lovely. On my medium-toned olive skin (Chanel Perfection Lumiere B30) it gives a soft medium pink glow. On darker skins I think this will be more of a lighter highlighting pink, still visible, and absolutely gorgeous. Be sure to check out Makeup Magpie and Best Things in Beauty if you haven’t seen their photos yet.
Here at an angle you can see the glow better and the variations in the colors between each stripe (I believe the gold goes all the way through to the bottom of the pan):
Swatched & swirled (the heavy blended swatch looks frosty because of the high flash, but on the face it is not quite as frosty, I recommend you check out Best Things in Beauty’s swatches):
While striped blushes aren’t new, Chanel has created a beautiful fresh new variation with the Blush Horizon de Chanel. In the past few weeks, Amy from Café Makeup and I pondered how the new Chanel compared to compared to Guerlain’s Série Noire Blush G from last spring. On my skin, the Guerlain looks brighter and more peachy. The Blush Horizon de Chanel is more subtle & pink. I feel it’s a combination between Brompton Road and Narcisse without the chalkiness.
I haven’t seen any other spring collections in person yet, but I can already tell you this is a must-have for the season.
