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On My Radar

On My Radar / New in Beauty

December 23, 2015

Is it too early for spring beauty yet? For those looking forward, there is a lot on the horizon for spring that focuses on fresh and glowing beauty. I’ve already spotted sneak peeks of new foundation releases from Chanel, Laura Mercier, YSL, Armani, NARS to name a few – all to be launching soon. For now, here’s a roundup of new beauty launches on my radar that you can purchase right now if you need instant gratification. I placed a large order a couple days ago for some Dior spring items and also picked up a few pieces from Chanel spring. I’ll be testing them in the next week and have swatches as soon as I can.
  1. Chanel Collection L.A. Sunrise for spring 2016 has started to trickle in stores and is now live on Chanel.com, Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue. It has a brighter feel than what I normally go for, but I love that everything is lively and colorful. What I picked up (reviews + swatches soon):
  2. Charlotte Tilbury Magic just launched the Magic Skin Trilogy with two new additions to her Magic Line. I’m a huge fan of her Magic Cream ($100) and couldn’t be more thrilled to see it available now in the Magic Night Cream ($145) and Magic Eye Rescue Cream ($60). I’ve been testing both of the new items for 3 days now, will have a report back after a few more days but I can say now that the Magic Night Cream is phenomenal – I wake up with glowing skin. (Also available in a Magic Skin Trilogy Set for $285.)
  3. YSL Spring Look just launched with a collection of pastels. I have my eye on the Glossy Stains ($36) in Tangerine Boho and Rose Folk along with the La Laque Couture Nail Polish ($27) in Love Pink.
  4. Bobbi Brown Extra Lip Tint ($33) launched a few weeks ago. I went to two counters to see if they had it in stock and both had sold out so I ordered it online. I’m excited to see how it compares to the ones from Clarins and Dior.
  5. Dior has a couple spring launches, one is a Lip Glow collection which features the Addict Lip Glow Color Reviver Lip Balm ($33) in Lilac. As a fan of the pink and coral, I’m really excited to see how this one wears.
  6. Dior Glowing Gardens for Spring has light and airy colors with powders ebossed with gorgeous floral designs. The Diorskin Nude Air Illuminating Powders ($58) in Glowing Pink and Glowing Nude look so pretty. There are two Eyeshadow Palettes in Blue Garden and Rose Garden ($63 each) but as one who rarely wears aqua or green eyeshadow, I will need to test before splurging.
  7. Tarte just launched their Chiseling Charmers Deluxe Contour Set ($24, online only). This looks promising.
  8. Glamglow’s latest is a peel-off mask called Gravitymud Firming Treatment ($69). I need this like yesterday.
  9. Henri Bendel Champagne Candle ($30), need I say more? My local store was sold out but had one burning in-store. It smells amazingly fresh.
My wishlist is already a mile long. I will need to do some sorting, thinking and prioritizing before splurging. What’s on your radar for the upcoming spring beauty season?
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On My Radar / New in Beauty

August 17, 2015

I hope everyone had a great weekend! We had a hot weekend here in Southern California – it was nice to have lots of sunny weather but I do hope it will cool down soon. A few new items on my beauty radar right now:
  1. Louboutin Beauté is launching 38 shades of lipstick in September retailing at $90 each. These are encased in a heavy duty metal cases that look like mini jeweled ornaments. There will be three formulas in Silky Satin, Sheer Voile and Velvet Matte. All will come encased in a gold base and cap except three Rouge Louboutin shades (one in each formula) which comes in a solid black metal case.
  2. Lipstick Queen has six new shades of a Cupid Strikes Lip Pencil ($22 each). These are a lipliner and lipstick in one kind of product. I have my eye on the colors in Golden Arrow and Apollo – they look really pretty.
  3. Clinique for Men launched a new Sonic System Deep Cleansing Brush ($89.50). My husband has been using my Clarisonic for a while (he has his own brush heads) but I’m glad to see some lines launching ones for men’s skin. Reports indicate the brushes are slightly different for men’s facial hair. This one has a nice sleek masculine look to it.
  4. Clarisonic has a men’s tool in the new Alpha Fit Cleansing System for Men ($189). This one is quite a bit more pricey compared to the Clinique. I ordered this already a few weeks ago – the video demonstrated how how versatile it is. My husband likes the look – it has a good design and compact look. He’s testing it right now.
  5. Tom Ford Beauty has launched 13 new shades of Lip Color (in the full size, $52 each). I have my eye on so many colors, in particular Guilty Pleasure, So Vain and Lilac. Some swatches of the colors on the Tom Ford Forum via Specktra.net.
  6. Allure and Butter London teamed up to create a collection of 6 nail lacquers ($15 each). The colors include Disco Nap, I’m On the List, It’s Vintage, Lust or Must?, Nude Stilettos and Statement Piece.
  7. Bobbi Brown has a small Greige Collection with a Eye Palette, two Nail Polishes and two Long-Wear Cream Shadow Sticks. I need to investigate the eyeshadows.
  8. Frederic Malle now carries the travel sized vials individually. They are expensive when you break down the price per ounce but it’s still a nice way to buy a smaller size instead of splurging on the full size bottle if you’re unsure. My go-to scent is Carnal Flower. I have my eye on Eau de Magnolia, Lipstick Rose and Dries Van Noten.
  9. and 10. Last but not least, Burberry Beauty has launched at Sephora.com! The full makeup line is available along with some new releases. Sephora has an exclusive Burberry Beauty Box (VIB Rouge exclusive). Other new items include the Kisses Lip Gloss, First Kiss Glossy Lip Balm, Face Contour Pen for Face & Eyes and a new 3-Piece Nail Color Set for Fall.
What’s on your beauty radar this week?

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Bobbi Brown Calypso Cheek Palette – Limited Edition

April 10, 2015

Bobbi Brown released three limited-edition Cheek Palette Trios each containing two blushes and one highlighter color. The Cheek Palettes are all color-coordinated which include Calypso, Pink and Berry ($45 each, blushes are .12 oz / 3.4 g each and the highlighter is .16 oz / 4.55 g). It was hard to narrow down one pick as all three are extremely pretty. I purchased Calypso which has a peachy theme. The three colors inside include:

Pretty Coral Blush is a soft coral peach with a hint of pink
Calypso Sparkle Powder is a pale peachy gold highlighter
Coral Sugar Blush is a lighter peachy color

Although the theme is peach and coral, I found all three colors pulled a bit more on the pink side on my olive skin. It’s been a while since I’ve worn or purchased a Bobbi Brown blush. Her blushes used to be among my favorites but I found them better suited for my skin when I was darker and more tan (around Chanel B40 and a MAC NC40). Many of her colors tended to darken and oxidize on my skin  once I got lighter so I stopped wearing them (although I still adore and am obsessed with all of her shimmer bricks). 

Calypso has a light to medium undertone with medium but buildable pigment. I’m in love with the middle highlight because it has a really soft shimmer to it and even though it has gold shimmer, it’s not too warm for the skin making it very wearable. The texture of the colors is soft and melds into the skin nicely. A few swipes of color is all you need and they are easy to blend. I like layering them together for depth. It’s really an all-in-one cheek palette for blush, highlight and a slightly darker shade to add a bit of color on the apples.

Close ups and swatches:

A few comparison swatches:

I really like this one. I’ve been playing with it for a few weeks now and give it a thumbs up. I do think if you have a lot of peachy coral blushes the effect on the skin will be similar to other brands, but I like the convenience of having multiple colors in one small compact. It makes it easy for travel or to carry around with you for touch ups. Lasting power is quite good, these will warm up on the skin after a little bit but they won’t darken or oxidize. I found they stayed put on my cheeks from morning until late afternoon without fading.

Bottom line: it’s a good reliable everyday staple. I’m seriously considering the pink one, although it seemed like it might be too pale for me after swatching it in store. If you bought it, I’d love to hear what you thought. Or if you tested any of the three palettes, what did you think?

All three Cheek Palette Trios are limited-edition. Available at Neiman Marcus, Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, Barneys New York and Bobbi Brown Cosmetics.

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On My Radar / New In Beauty

February 25, 2015
Some new items on my radar this week that have popped up. I’m still working my way through photographing and swatching items from Marc Jacobs Beauty, Hourglass, Burberry, Chanel and Charlotte Tilbury. There’s not enough hours in the day for all the fun stuff. As usual I’d love to hear what’s on your beauty radar right now. I’m in the process of testing out some eye creams (sample packets and a few I’ve bought) – if you have any favorite eye creams I’d love to hear your recs in the comments.

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  1. NARS will release six shades of Dual-Intensity Blush next week at online at Sephora, NARS Cosmetics and NARS Boutiques on March 4th and at all other locations April 1st. As someone who is obsessed with the Dual-Intensity Eyeshadows, I’m beyond excited for these.
  2. Chanel has some new items in skincare. The entire Le Blanc line has been reformulated so if you have some staples I recommend you check your counter as soon as possible to see if they have the older formulas to stock up. I just ran out of my go-to Estee Lauder toner so I decided to give the Le Blanc Brightening Moisturizing Lotion a try. I’ll have a more detailed report once I give it a test drive. 
  3. Another new item from Chanel is the Hydra Beauty Micro Serum. From what I’ve heard, it will not replace the current Hydra Beauty Serum, but is simply an addition to the line for more moisture. I bought the Micro Serum yesterday and can’t wait to try it out.
  4. The Bite Beauty Butter Cream Lipsticks are now available for everyone to purchase (no longer a VIB/VIB Rouge exclusive). There are eight shades of nudes and mauves which are super tempting. Given the fact that I have acquired a number of Chanel Rouge Cocos, Dior Glosses and Marc Jacobs Lipsticks buying another lipstick just seems silly. But many of you keep raving about Bite so I might check out 1 or 2.
  5. Dior has three new Gel-Shine Vernis Nail Lacquers launched with the release of the lip glosses.  The three colors are Rose, Pink and Corail. I’ll have swatches for you next week.
  6. Bobbi Brown has new Cheek Palettes with different color themes in Berry, Pink and Calypso. These are so stunning and well pigmented. I haven’t splurged yet but these are on my radar.
  7. Tatcha’s latest is the Indigo Soothing Rice Enzyme Powder for sensitive skin. It’s also available in a travel size. I’m a huge fan of the regular version (reviewed here) and this new one looks promising for days that my skin is experiencing extra sensitivity.
  8. Burberry has reformulated all of their shadows. In addition to their powder shadows, there is another new formula called Wet & Dry Glow Shadows in Optic White, Gold Pearl, Nude and Shell which are mind blowingly gorgeous. I’m working on swatches this week.
  9. Clinique has two Chubby Sticks out. There is a Chubby Stick Sculpting Highlight and Chubby Stick Sculpting Contour. I like the look of the packaging and they look like they are really easy to use but reviews are mixed. Have you tried these? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
What’s on your beauty radar this week?
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On My Radar

On My Radar / New in Beauty

February 13, 2015
Happy Friday everyone! I’m relieved it’s almost the weekend. We have 80+ degree weather in Southern California right now, it’s like winter never came and we are in a non-stop state of summer (I’m not complaining, although I do feel like I should have a tan right now). A few things I’ve spotted new in the beauty world:

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  1. Christian Louboutin Beaute has a new Python Vulcano Limited Edition Nail Colour Coffret ($90, limited-edition) for spring. The three shades include Salonu, True Blue, and Hot Chick. I want to see this one in person as it looks stunning although I only own 1 yellow nail polish (Chanel Mimosa) and rarely wear it.
  2. Glamglow released their new cleansers ($39 each for 5 oz) in Supercleanse (Daily Clearing Cleanser), Thirstycleanse (Daily Treatment Cleanser) and Youthcleanse (Daily Exfoliating Cleanser). I have the white and blue ones that I bought a few weeks ago and am completely obsessed with both. Detailed review next week.
  3. Bobbi Brown has a new Sunkissed Nude Collection Set ($120, limited-edition) at Neiman Marcus. If you’ve been eyeing things at Neimans, save your shopping for next week when their Beauty Week Event starts on the 18th.
  4. Chanel has released some new items this month. The Collection La Perle de Chanel has a new Harmonie Levres Lip Palette, Joues Contraste in Crescendo, Illusion D’Ombre in Mysterio, Stylo Yeux Waterproof in Perle de Lune along with more items for lips and eyes. If you’re shopping for Valentine’s Day, the have complimentary overnight shipping with orders $125+ (until 5 PM EST). I ordered several items + a few of the new Rouge Cocos. I’ll be swatching and photographing this weekend.
  5. Charlotte Tilbury Beach Sticks ($45 each, 5 shades) have finally launched in the US. I have a few that I ordered, I’ll be swatting and have a review in the next week (fingers crossed).
  6. Giorgio Armani has two Limited-Edition Runway pieces, a Runway Palette ($120 for highlighter + 3 shadows) cased in an embroidered silk pouch and a new Rouge Sheer Runway Lipstick ($40). The palette looks incredibly beautiful but I’m not sure about the price point.
  7. Dior Beauty has 12 shades of Rouge Dior Brilliant Lipshine & Care Couture Colour ($35 each). There are several nudes I have on my wish list although I have yet to see or swatch these in person.
  8. Chantecaille has a small edited collection for spring. There is a new Glacier Eyeshadow Trio ($70), Arctic Rose Lip Chic ($36), and two Galactic Lip Shines ($34 each) in Aurora and Polaris. (I bought the palette and one lip chic, review next week.)
I hope you have a wonderful weekend! My husband and I are celebrating Valentine’s Day early with a date night dinner tonight. What’s on your beauty radar this weekend?

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On My Radar

January 26, 2015

Soft washes of neutral colors and getting organized are on my mind this week.
Deborah Lippman Whisper Collection (1) has four shades of pale pastels that look so dreamy. The names are absolute perfection with Chantilly Lace (pink), Misty Morning (grey), Dreamers Do (mauve), Fine Romance (nude).

The spring releases from Marc Jacobs Beauty look amazing. Three new #Instamarc Light Filtering Contour Powders (2) have been released to sculpt, highlight and add definition. Shades include Dream Filter (soft pink/medium bronze), Hi Fi Filter (warm peach/ deep bronze) and Mirage Filter (light gold/ light bronze).

There are new lipstick formulas as well from Marc Jacobs Beauty. There is a long-wear bold color formula called Le Marc Lip Creme and New Nudes Sheer Lip Gel (4).

NARS Spring 2015 is all about soft nudes (5). I have so many things sitting in my cart right now. I’m trying to resist the urge to order sight unseen since nudes can be tricky. They look so beautiful, especially the Guyane and Vent Salé Lip Glosses, Reckless Blush, Valhalla Eyeshadow and Porto Venere Eye Paint.

I’ve been accumulating quite a few flat pouches and clutches but don’t have a way to store them properly. I’ve been propping them vertically next to each other. This GLAMdivide (6) lucite box by Glamboxes looks like it could be the perfect solution for me. (How do you store your slim clutches and flat pouches? I’m open for all ideas!)

New highlighting and contouring powders in different colors are popping up. Clinique Sculptionary Cheek Contouring Palettes (6) come in four shades: Defining Nudes, Berries, Roses and Nectars. Bobbi Brown Brightening Bricks (7) now come in four colors too including Coral, Pastel Pink, Pink and Cranberry.

Last but not least, if you’re looking for a good chic document case, Truffle has a promo on their Clarity Document Cases for 25% off through Sunday 2/1 with code TIDY2015 at checkout.

What’s on your radar this week?
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What's In My Bag

Inside My Bag

November 29, 2014

Inside my Prada Saffiano tote (similar color here, similar style here):

Charlotte Tilbury Lip Lustres in Seduction and Sweet Stiletto (reviewed here)
Frederic Malle Travel Spray in Carnal Flower
Canon G16 Camera
Key ring and small wallet by Louis Vuitton

I’m a huge fan of the pouches and clutches by Truffle.
I have multiples now in different colors and styles and love how they really help keep
things streamlined and organized in my purses. They just released a few additions in Nude, Black and Rose Gold. They are a bit of a
splurge, but I feel they are well worth the price because they are well-made and very sturdy. Right now Truffle is offering 25% off your entire
purchase with code HOLIDAY25 at checkout (it ends on Monday December 1st).

The Privacy Clutches are also good for on-the-go. If you don’t want to lug around your purse and just want to carry the essentials, it will fit quite a bit but still keep everything streamlined (see what I fit in the Blush version back in August).

Sometimes I’ll carry multiples in my purses that don’t have compartments. They are pretty good at staying flat and keeping their shape so it keeps everything streamlined.

P.S. If you’re like me and have been eyeing Charlotte Tilbury items you might want to look into the holiday offer at Beautylish. They are offering a $20 gift card for every $100 you spend (also ends on Monday).

What’s in your bag right now? How do you keep your bag organized or streamlined. I usually tend to throw things in each day of the week so by the weekend it gets heavy and messy. Compartments help keep me organized but not all of my bags have separators.
Hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving and that you are enjoying the weekend! I spent the last 3 days sick in bed with a bad cold, but my fever broke and I am starting to feel more like myself this afternoon.

The Black Privacy Clutch was gifted by Truffle without charge, all other items purchased by me.
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