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Le Métier de Beauté Kaleidoscope Face Kit | The Total Look

February 25, 2014

Le Métier de Beauté released three new Kaleidoscope Kits at the end of last year in limited quantities at select stores and they are finally available online at Bloomingdales ($95 each). There is a new face kit called The Total Look, a blush kit called Cheeky Chic and an eyeshadow kit called Strada. When my local store received these they did not have testers. I limited myself to one: The Total Look Kit which has two eyeshadows in a bronze and champagne, a pink blush and a light bronzer.

Swatches, note I applied the blush and bronzer with a light hand. The colors are well pigmented once applied on the face but still soft.

I pulled one of my older discontinued kaleidoscopes in the Flawless Face Kit to compare for you (the Neiman Marcus Beverly Hills edition had Jojo Eyeshadow instead of the translucent pressed powder). If you missed out on the older kit, the Jojo Eyeshadow, Whisper Highlighter and Echo Blush can be purchased individually.

For the top two shades, the pale pink in The Total Look is more shimmery and frosted compare to the Whisper Highlighter:

Here you can see The Total Look has a softer effect than Flawless Face:

I pulled a couple different shades from different kits for swatch comparisons. Galatea’s Bronze (discontinued) is darker than The Total Look. Nouvelle Vague’s (review here) shimmery pink is darker than The Total Look. The Blush Kaleidoscope (review here) is darker and more pigmented than The Total Look.

The Total Look Kaleidoscope Face Kit is a classic staple. I’m glad it is finally available for purchase online. I waited to write about this because I suspected like most Le Metier de Beaute kits it would sell out in the blink of an eye and cause those to miss out heartache. Although pricey at $95 per kit, note this breaks down to $23.75 per kit. For the size and price note that many other brands have shadows priced the same or higher per shadow.

If you’re new to Le Metier de Beaute or don’t own a lot of Kaleidoscopes, this is a great kit to start with. If you own a lot, I think you can skip although I found the colors in this one to have slightly different nuances making the colors unique. The convenience factor is a plus. I brought this with me in a couple trips in the past few months. Be sure to check out Best Things in Beauty for her swatches and a snapshot of all three kits.

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NARS Final Cut Collection | Blushes

January 23, 2014

NARS has four new blushes with the Final Cut collection ($29 each, exclusive to Nordstrom). I purchased mine sight unseen online as soon as the colors were released thanks to sneak peeks on Specktra.net and The Make-up Blogette I could make my purchasing decisions without having to test at the counter.

The four shades are new colors – all fresh and light shades perfect for spring. I was worried these might be too light for my skin, but they offer a lovely sheer wash of color without being too pale.

Sex Fantasy is a pale pink that makes the skin glow a lovely light pink. It works alone over powder and foundation although if you have dry skin you may need a cream base to help pick up the color more. (I find MAC Well Dressed and Edward Bess Filled With Desire similar.)
New Attitude is a pure fresh pink. This one almost melts into my skin. It is very sheer on my olive skin giving a very slight hint of pink with one swipe. If I apply too much color it darkens on my skin, but one to two swipes gives a beautiful wash of pink. (For me MAC Pink Swoon has an almost identical effect on my olive skin.)
Love is my favorite. It’s a lovely neutral rose-pink that applies like a peachy color on me. I like it because it doesn’t turn brown like some neutrals can. For some reason with my olive skin some peachy-brown-pink colors darken and end up looking muddy once warmed on the skin. This one doesn’t turn at all.
Final Cut is a darker peach. It has more brownish tones compared to Gina or Gilda (both of which are brighter and slightly more vibrant). This one looks very pretty but is similar enough to other matte peaches from NARS and MAC that you can pass if you have a lot of peachy colors.

Here are the colors swatched with a heavy hand, you can see that even with layering the color still looks fresh and bright:

I don’t have face swatches of these but others have lovely photos of the colors on the cheeks. You may want to check out Buy Now, Blog Later, Café Makeup, Temptalia and Beautezine to name a few. I’m in love with these blushes. It’s nice to see NARS release some lighter colors for the cheeks (although I’m all about dramatic colors for cheeks, a soft swipe of a bright color can make the skin glow). I think all four shades are really lovely but my top two picks would be New Attitude and Love.

These are available now online and in store exclusively at Nordstrom for $29 each.

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Chanel Émotion #87 Powder Blush

December 6, 2013

There’s a new blush from Chanel in the US (separate from the holiday collection) called Émotion #87 ($43 for 6 g/0.21 oz). It’s a pigmented satiny rose pink. The color is one of the darkest and most pigmented blushes I’ve seen from Chanel in quite some time. Émotion has a soft subtle shimmer to it in the pan but it applies with a very soft glow with a healthy flush. It’s the perfect pink to add color but doesn’t darken or look too bright on the skin.

It applies very smoothly on my skin. The color shows up quite well. It’s a bright color with a soft finish.

At first glance I thought it would be similar to Tom Ford Wicked. It’s a bit different – Chanel Émotion has a softer and more delicate finish while Tom Ford Wicked is a bit sharper in color. Below: Chanel Turbulent (discontinued), Tumulte, Rose Petale and Tom Ford Wicked (on backorder at Neimans).

I’m a huge fan of Chanel blushes. I love their soft texture and layerable colors. Émotion proves to be one of the darker more pigmented colors. I give it a huge thumbs up. I recommend checking Weekend Ramblings, Jayded Dreaming and Color Me Loud for additional swatches.

I purchased my Émotion #87 blush in store at Nordstrom, online at Nordstrom.com.

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Chanel Accent #84 Powder Blush | Holiday 2013

October 8, 2013

Chanel Accent #84 Joues Contraste ($43) is new for this holiday. There are two versions, the US version and the baked version released everywhere else. I ordered mine from Nordstrom.com and received the US version 6g/0.21 oz which is made in France. This one is a sparkling mixture of rose mauve and beige. It’s beautiful and has both warm and cool tones mixed together. At some angles it’s clearly beige, at others it’s more of a dusty mauve rose. On my skin it applies like a neutral mauve with a hint of beige. The sparkles and shimmers are more visible in this color than most traditional Chanel blushes and I love that it’s different from anything they’ve released. It’s a cross between their regular blushes and highlighters.

More photos below will show the complexity. Note this was difficult to photograph. The blush has more of a beige-colored base, but the shimmers are cool-toned mixed with mauve and silver. It will look different depending on what light and angle you hold this at.

Natural light:

In sunlight:

Swatched heavy and light, two views, it swatches mauve on and pinkish on my arm. On my face it’s slightly more warm but still clearly mauvey-brown. This will vary depending on your skintone. (I have a lot of olive/gold).

I pulled some other Chanel blushes I thought might be similar based on what I saw in the pan. I thought it could be a dupe of the discontinued Orchid Rose or Rose Dust. For some reason Chanel discontinued a lot of their classic blush shades. By my comparisons, the new Accent is unique and different. Much to my dismay most of my comparisons are discontinued colors. Here are comparisons to Rose Dust #54, Imprevu 59, Orchid Rose, Rose Temptation, additional swatches include Tempting Beige and Tweed Rose (still on Chanel.com).

Blushes, same set with 2 views:

Swatches, same set with two views:

Chanel Accent proves to be an easy to wear neutral. It’s a dusty mauve without being too brown or cool-toned. On my olive skin it adds a nice definition to the cheeks without being too natural or too harsh with the shimmer. I’m wearing it today with the Le Métier de Beauté Saint-Domingue Eye Kit and Chanel Boy Rouge Coco Shine. By Chanel comparisons, Accent is different enough from other Chanel colors to justify purchasing. Update: For reference see Temptalia for the baked version swatches and Best Things in Beauty for the US version on lighter skintone.

Chanel Holiday should start arriving at counters soon. My Nordstrom only had a few pieces so far. You can find Accent at Nordstrom and Nordstrom.com.

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Chanel Affinité 65 Le Blush Crème de Chanel

August 12, 2013

Chanel Affinité 65 Le Blush Crème de Chanel ($38 for 2.5 g/0.09 oz) was one shade missing from most counters near me. Stores had received testers but no product to sell. Chanel.com had the color available for a few days before selling out. I had my name on the waitlists and was thrilled to find it arrived in stores at Nordstrom and online Nordstrom.com. Affinité #65 is a hot cool-toned pink. It’s quite pigmented and visible on the skin – it’s one of the brighter shades out of the six that were released for fall. Other Blush Crèmes in Destiny, Presage, Revelation and Inspiration were reviewed here. Out of all the shades, my top three picks are Présage, Révélation and this one Affinité.

Since Affinité is very pigmented, it does require blending on the skin for a more natural look. I’ve found either a foundation brush or regular blush brush work fine. My favorite is Tom Ford’s Cream Foundation brush but any brush will do. I don’t recommend applying over dry skin. It does work ok over a powdered face, but for easier blending, apply a sheer illuminator first to the cheeks. The slightly emollient base helps the color blend easier. Swatches, heavy and blended:

Comparisons below to Chanel Revelation (warmer), Edward Bess Love Affair (the EB has more blue and is dewier), MAC Dollymix Powder blush (similar in undertone):

Overall love. It’s a beautiful bright pink shade that is easy to wear and coordinate into looks for both day and evening. It’s layerable so you can adjust the intensity to your preference. I’m happy I was able to find it. I’m not sure why it’s one of the hard to find shades, perhaps it was just one that sold out very quickly – the good news is that Affinité is not listed as a limited item on Chanel.com even though it is sold out. If you had difficulty finding this the past few months, know that you can find it now at Nordstrom.

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Edward Bess Blush Extraordinaire: Secret Affair, Filled With Desire and Bed of Roses

July 6, 2013

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Edward Bess released three new blushes in a new package and formula early in the spring called Blush Extraordinaire ($43 for 0.21 oz, made in the USA). There are three shades, Secret Affair 01, Filled with Desire 02 and Bed of Roses 03. I ordered all three online from Neiman Marcus during one of their beauty events to take advantage of a lip gloss gift with purchase. As usual, I have been thrilled with the latest from Edward Bess.

Each shade has a soft smooth finely milled texture. The colors are well pigmented but easily layerable. They have the classic Edward Bess fig scent (which I adore). I’ve tested the shades for several weeks now, the lasting power is quite good. The colors don’t darken on the skin as the day wears on and I love how the color is visible but natural. Each shade brightens the face with a hint of color.

Secret Affair 01 (available online at Neiman Marcus and Sephora) is probably my favorite of the three. It’s a luscious peach with shimmer with a slight hint of pink. The shimmer disappears on my skin leaving a soft satiny finish. On me it pulls more coral, but there is enough pink in it to prevent it from looking orangey. See how it pulls more pinkish on The Non-Blonde and Temptalia.

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Filled with Desire 02 (available online at Neiman Marcus and Sephora) is a soft sheer pale pink. It’s a satiny baby pink – something I find rare among most blush brands. Pale pinks are typically flat or come with silvery shimmers. Edward Bess’s Filled with Desire is a ballet pink with pink shimmer. On me it looked very sheer. I found it worked best when layered over Tom Ford’s Blush Guilt or Edward Bess Afterglow Highlighter. These creams helped pick the color up a bit better for me. I suspect this is a pale shade that might not show up on darker skintones.

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Bed of Roses 03 (online at Neiman Marcus and Sephora) is my second favorite out of the three. It’s a cool rose pink. As mentioned by others, Bed of Roses appears to be sheerer in pigment, but layers beautifully. The semi-sheer quality prevents it from looking muddy on the skin like some pigmented rose blushes can. Bed of Roses has a soft sheen that gives a demure blush. I see it working on most skintones. On me it pulls more cool, but it really is a neutral rose. See it also on Best Things in Beauty, The Non-Blonde and Temptalia.

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All three close up with swatches:

Everything about these blushes seems to be an improvement from Edward’s original Blush Imperiale formula. The packaging is sturdier and sleeker-looking. The texture is easier to blend and layer with a softer feel (although I do still love his other blushes). The new shades also have a gorgeous soft shimmer sheen versus the flat matte colors for his original blush colors. Those who don’t like shimmer on the cheeks will still like these colors. The shimmer disappears on the skin (at least for me) and leaves a soft glow. Bottom line is that these are perfect basics and staples that can be incorporated into any look (but not too basic). The colors are highly versatile.

If I were forced to only pick one, it would be impossible. I would call it a tie between Secret Affair and Bed of Roses.

Edward Bess Blush Extraordinaire retails for $43 each. You can find them online at Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman and Sephora.

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Le Blush Crème de Chanel

June 22, 2013

This fall Chanel has released six new colors of cream blush called Le Blush Crème de Chanel ($38 each for 2.5 g/0.09 oz). I had my heart set on one of each shade but my local counters have not received all the shades yet for sale. At the counter the Chanel artist applied a bright peach called Présage on me along with the peachy Rouge Coco Mystique and I fell in love in an instant. I left with four of the shades and have been putting them to the test this whole week. The colors are all creams without shimmers.

Destiny 61 is a neutral beige brown/tan
Présage 62 is a bright peach
Révélation 63 is a perfect pink/peach watermelon-like color
Inspiration 64 is a pale powder pink

My two favorites are Présage and Révélation for the color. They brighten the face with just the right amount of color. Destiny is a good basic tan, but I found slightly boring for my skintone. Inspiration is borderline too pale for my medium skintone.

The texture of these creams is not quite a cream-to-powder but not quite as emollient as regular cream blushes. They are described as a power-cream. They definitely dry down when applied but don’t really feel powdery on the skin. I really like that these have a lightweight feel but are quite pigmented.

I tried several different application methods. With fingers or a regular foundation brush I found application to be a bit tricky for my skin. I either applied too much color or it looked uneven. Color didn’t last more than 2 hours. Layering over a sheer liquid illuminator like Tom Ford Fire Lust or MAC Strobe Liquid helped smooth the application but sheered out the color a bit and also diminished lasting power. After testing with several brushes, I found that my Tom Ford Cream Foundation Brush proved to be the best tool for these. It provided the smoothest, most even and longest lasting application (well through the late afternoon). I suspect how these apply on you will depend on your skin type (mine is fairly normal, I don’t get oily except in humid weather and my skin isn’t dry). Your mileage may vary – some will prefer fingers others may find a brush works better.

Some more photos and swatches:

Swatches, swatched with a heavy hand to show the rich color, note that the colors are easily blended out for a flawless glow:

I was hard pressed to find dupes or similar colors in cream blush shades. Most of my cream blushes have some shimmer or are in a different formula making colors a bit difficult to compare. Here are a few I thought were similar. After pulling the shades, it turns out the Chanels are really different.

Comparison swatches: