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Holiday Beauty: Champagne and Gold Shimmers

November 3, 2014
The holidays are just around the corner and the next couple of months will be very busy ones. During the holiday season I find myself always gravitating towards warm gold and champagne shimmery shades. They are easy to coordinate with different outfits and makeup looks. I find warm golds and champagne also help brighten and warm up the complexion. Holiday beauty releases are starting to trickle in at Nordstrom and I’ve teamed up with them to share my some recent holiday beauty discoveries – all gold and champagne themed.

I have my picks split into different categories for lips, eyes, highlighters and nails:

For lips, there are a number of stunning shimmery gold and champagne glosses new this season. I like neutral golds for layering. They can bring a nude lipstick to life or when layered over a brighter pink, peach or red, soften the lips and give them a nice glow.
  • Dior Gold Rain is new from the Golden Shock collection which is a sheer but sparkling gold.
  • Burberry Nude Glow Lip Glow isn’t a new shade but I like to use this one year round. It’s a soft gold shimmer.
  • NARS Soleil d’Orient is a shimmering champagne that has a slight hint of pink. It’s pigmented enough to wear alone but also looks good over nude lipsticks.
  • Charlotte Tilbury Ibiza Nights is good for those who want more sparkle, it has the prettiest mix of shimmers but isn’t over the top. 
  • Bobbi Brown Malt Shimmer Lipstick comes in a special-edition gold packaging this holiday which is fun. It’s a warm shimmery coppery shade with gold shimmer.  

Golds are always in for me. They are neutral but easy to dress up. I like neutral gold eyes because they won’t overpower the face if you wear a bolder berry, pink or red lip.
  • Armani Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadows are a long-time favorite. I like these applied on the lids with a brush. The pigment is really incredible and easy to layer for more intensity. If you use a damp brush the color transforms into a more intense and more metallic look. Any variation of Armani gold looks good on most skintones, they create some of the prettiest universally flattering shades. My favorite Armani likes to wear Eyes to Kill 6 packed on the lids and combine it with soft peach cheeks and a nude lip, the look is really quite stunning.
  • Dior Versailles 5 Couleurs Eyeshadow Palette is a beautiful palette of pale shimmers and one deeper chocolate shimmer. The middle gold shade has a bit of a chunky sparkle which is nice for subtle layering. 
  • Laura Mercier Rosegold Caviar Stick Eye Color (mini) is another year-round classic. I like this as a base on the lids to help bring out the pigment in shadows. It’s also good as a highlighter. Sometimes on lazy days I’ll wear this on the lids and just finish with mascara for a no-fuss look.

Gold shimmers and highlighters are a must for me, especially during the holiday. The warmth of the gold ones can enhance the skin naturally and make the complexion look more alive.
  • Armani Fluid Sheer 10 is a nice neutral gold. I like this dabbed on top of the cheek bones (after powder, foundation and blush) with a foundation brush to add highlight. It’s also good as a cheek base to use underneath blush.
  • Bobbi Brown Bronze Glow Highlight Powder is a shimmering warm gold. It feels almost like it has a slight gel texture but it’s still a powder. The shimmer on this one is medium-to-high, but not frosty.  
  • Charlotte Tilbury Wonderglow is another good gold highlighter. I like this used all over the face as a primer to illuminate the skin or mixed in with foundation to give it a glow.

Gold and red seem to be the hit shades this holiday for nails. There are a number of different gold polishes, some with glittery effects, others more subtle. I’ve been playing with three over the weekend.
  • Dior Mirror is a sheer white gold shimmer in the special holiday packaging. It has a transparent quality with two coats, I prefer three with this one.
  • Guerlain Coque D’Or Night at the Opera is a neutral gold shimmer (this one is my favorite).
  • Bobbi Brown Scotch is an interesting warm copper sparkle. It has smooth even coverage with two coats but the color is primarily sparkle.

Left to right: Guerlain, Dior and Bobbi Brown

What are your favorite colors to wear during the holiday? Do you have any favorite gold or champagne makeup shades or do you prefer the more dramatic plums and reds?

Thanks to Nordstrom for sponsoring this post. 

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Burberry Beauty A/W Nude Blush No. 12 and Slate Blue No. 20 Complete Eye Palettes

October 31, 2014

I’m late to the game in sharing these beautiful palettes with you, but better late than never, right? For the Autumn/Winter Collection Burberry Beauty released two new Complete Eye Palettes ($60 each for 5.4 g/0.19 oz, made in Italy) in Nude Blush No. 12 and Slate Blue No. 20. I’ve been a huge fan of Burberry eye shadows in both the single and quad formats, I have been eagerly anticipating the release of the fall palettes.
Nude Blush No. 12 is a unique palette of rosy tones. All the shades are medium-to-dark in color with various finishes. The shades in this one include a soft nude pink satin, a warm copper pink, a soft mauve blush and a deeper eggplant shimmer. The texture is buttery smooth and they adhere well to the lids. All the colors layer well together in this one. The colors are truly unique compared to most other palettes I own. At first glance, it looks similar to Plum Pink No. 06 (which I do not own). Swatches on Silverkis shows Nude Blush to be a warmer and more unique option. You can see from Color Me Loud that Nude Blush is similar but warmer than Tom Ford Orchid Haze. To me this palette is a simpler and more subdued version of Urban Decay Naked3.

Slate Blue No. 20 is a beautiful palette of cool tones. This one is way outside of my comfort zone as I almost never wear blue shadows on the eyes. The colors are smoky in undertone making it a stunning palette. I experimented with this one a number of different ways, my favorite way to wear this is to use the deeper shades along the upper lash line but combined with a more neutral palette like Dark Spice. The pigment of the Slate Blue shades is medium but layerable. The colors have a slight transparent quality giving them depth. You can apply the shades damp for more color and a dramatic look.

Both are beautiful additions to the Burberry Beauty lineup. My favorite of course is the neutral option in Nude Blush which makes me very happy that I didn’t get Plum Pink when it was released. The Burberry Complete Eyeshadow Palettes retail for $60 each. They are available online at Nordstrom and Saks (available in store at select counters). Also available online at Burberry.
Many thanks to Burberry for sending these for review consideration.
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Burberry Beauty A/W 2014 Nail Polishes | Elderberry, Antique Gold, Ink Blue, Dark Bottle Green and Teal Blue

October 20, 2014

Burberry Beauty has five new shades of nail polish for the fall 2014 beauty collection. The shades are rich and dramatic colors and I’m completely obsessed. These have amazing pigment and rich hues that I think are perfect for right now and for the upcoming winter months (although it still feels like summer in Southern California). The new shades for fall ($22 each) include: Elderberry, Ink Blue, Dark Bottle Green, Teal Blue and Antique Gold.

If you’ve read reviews on other Burberry polishes, such as Oxblood, Pink Azalea, Pink Peony and Orange Poppy you know I’m smitten with the Burberry Nail Polish colors but have mixed feelings about the formula and brush. The brushes on these polishes remain the same, they are wide and flat which makes it easy to get a precise application along the side edges of the nail, but if you have small fingers like me, you need to take extra care near the cuticles with application. The formula of Oxblood needed three coats for full coverage, but so far it’s the only shade I’ve needed an extra coat for. The new shades for fall have a better and more opaque formula making them full coverage polishes with two coats. I did find Teal Blue to be slightly sheerer with a slight jelly-like finish, but the color went on smoothly.

Swatches of each color with two coats below. I had my top coat out to cover each nail, but the Burberry polishes ended up having a nice glossy finish on their own, so I didn’t add it on three of the shades I swatched:

Elderberry is a dark plum. It’s a vampy shade with perfect coverage. My nail wheels and most of my polishes are buried somewhere in one of our many packed boxes (my husband and I are still unpacking) so I wasn’t able to do comparison swatches. It has a similar vibe to Tom Ford Black Cherry, but the Burberry isn’t quite as dark.

Dark Bottle Green is a rich deep green color. This one surprised me because I’m normally not a fan of green nail colors on me but this one blew me away. It’s really lovely and the application is perfect. It’s one of my top three picks for the fall collection.

Ink Blue is a deep blue. The formula on this one is also perfect. It went on the nails smoothly with two coats. The first coat was enough to cover the entire nail but the second one smoothed it out perfectly. Love this one.

Antique Gold is a unique brassy gold shade. It’s a metallic color and I was really happy that the brush strokes are subtle on this one. I think with any metallic you’ll see some brush strokes but this one isn’t noticeable. The coverage on the Burberry shimmers/metallics that I’ve tried are really good. This one included.

Teal Blue is just that, a teal blue color. This one is such a pretty shade of blue, even my husband commented on how pretty it was and he usually doesn’t have much of an opinion about what I put on my nails. Teal Blue has a slight transparent quality, even with two coats it has a slight jelly finish. I could have added a third for full coverage, but I liked it with two.

I’m really happy with all of these, they are edgy classics. My top three picks include Dark Bottle Green, Teal Blue and Ink Blue. If I didn’t have more polishes to review and swatch right now I would have Dark Bottle Green on my nails for the next week.

The Burberry Nail Polishes retail for $22 each. You can find the fall shades now online and in select stores at Burberry, Nordstrom and Saks.

Now that fall is officially here, what have you been wearing on your nails this fall?
The polishes were provided by Burberry for review consideration.
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Burberry Beauty Fall 2014 – Sneak Peek

October 20, 2014

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.

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Trending Now: Plum Lips

September 22, 2014

Plum lips are always something I look forward to when we transition into fall each year. I find plum shades to be classic colors and look forward to each year’s new take on the shade. There are so many beautiful variations of plum ranging from soft neutrals to reddish plums to deep dramatic vamps. I’m a neutral lip lover so I feel like I can’t pull off dramatic colors easily. Also since I have a lot of pigment in my lips, plum colored lipsticks and lip glosses can often pull really red or extremely blue. Nordstrom Beauty has curated a selection of 30 shades on their Trending Now Section featuring dramatic colors for a Velvet Berry Lip. I’ve partnered with Nordstrom to share my favorite plum lip picks for neutral lip lovers (like myself).

When it comes to plums or dark dramatic lip colors in general I prefer sheerer lipsticks or lipgloss formulas. They are more forgiving on the lips when it comes to fading. The contrast between your natural lip and the lipstick can become obvious when the color starts to wear off. You can extend the wear with a lipliner blended over the lip to help the fading look less obvious. My favorites for plums include Chanel Nude (which isn’t really a true nude) and MAC Beurre Creamstick Liner.

My top picks for lip glosses include:

  • MAC Lovechild Lipglass is the prettiest mix of purple, gold and rose, on me it goes on purple, on others I’ve seen it pull more pink, it’s universally flattering in my mind and has been a long-time staple in my lip wardrobe
  • NARS Sixties Fan Lipgloss is a dark wine in the tube but goes on a sheer reddish plum, if you’re a no-shimmer kind of lip person this is a good option for you, it layers well over lipliners and matte lipsticks
  • Chantecaille Mulberry Luminous Lipgloss is new for fall, it is a deep wine infused with gold and red and plum shimmers, the coverage is medium to full, you can layer it for more pigment
  • Tom Ford Love Bruise Ultra Shine Lipgloss is a soft blue-toned plum, it has a semi-transparent finish but still shows a decent amount of color, there is shimmer in this but it’s subtle
  • Chanel Pagoda Glossimer has been a long time favorite, I’m so happy they didn’t discontinue this shade (many of my favorites have been discontinued), if want my recommendation on just one high-end plum lipgloss, this is my favorite
  • MAC Viva Glam VI Lipglass is another classic plum, this one has quite a bit of sparkle in the tube, it has a mix of rose and silver sparkles, but on the lips it’s not too sparkly, I’ve seen this on a number of different skin tones and it looks good on everyone

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My top picks for lipsticks include:
  • Burberry Blueberry Lip Mist is about as dark as I will go for lips, it’s a blue-based plum, but on my lips it pulls more red, your mileage may vary on the color, but I love how it looks so different on everyone I’ve seen it on, the Lip Mists have this unique lipstick/gel texture that glides on the lips and hugs them so the color really adheres well
  • Chantecaille Lotus Lipstick was featured in the fall collection and sold out in all the stores near me, I had to have the store locate it online to ship to me, if you can find it, I highly recommend it, the color has a glossy finish that looks very natural and has quite a bit of color
  • MAC Plumful Lustre Lipstick is a sheer blue-toned plum, it’s almost identical to Chantecaille Lotus on my lips in terms of color and coverage
  • Chanel Confident Rouge Coco Shine is a soft lighter plum, it’s one of the few light plums I’ve been able to find in a lipstick form, if you have darker skin tones or lips you might find this pulls more pinkish rather than plum
  • Guerlain Fabulous Rose is new from the Kiss Kiss Shaping Cream formula, there are a number of stunning plums and wines, this one has a lot of shimmer but it melds into the lips naturally so it doesn’t look frosty, for a plum I was torn between Fabulous Rose, Cherry Pink and Air Kiss and the artist recommended Fabulous Rose for a warmer plum that would still be natural

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For coordinating the rest of your beauty look, I recommend keeping the cheeks and eyes understated. Too much color can be overwhelming if you have a darker plum lip. My absolute favorite go-to blush is NARS Madly. It’s a soft beige peach pink color that adds warmth and color to the face that coordinates well with almost any lip color (not just plum, but also nudes, pinks and peaches). For the eyes to keep it simple I like NARS All About Eve and Kalahari Eyeshadow Duos which go well with plum lips and add subtle definition to the eyes. I like that you can layer the shades of Kalahari over the Himalia Dual Intensity Eye Shadows for more intensity. If I need more color I like adding a deep plum or brown along the upper lash lines for definition. I’m still on the hunt for a good plum eyeliner (one that has some shimmer and is really dark) but for now I like darker plum shadows applied with a small smudge brush like MAC Beauty Marked or NARS Subra.

If you’re one who prefers neutral lips but want to try something plum with more color, I hope my picks and swatches help give you some ideas on how to wear a more subdued plum. If you’re all about color, I highly recommend you check out Nordstrom’s Velvet Berry Lip selections.

Do you have a favorite berry or plum-colored lipstick or lipgloss?
I would love to hear what your beauty go-to’s are!

Many thanks to Nordstrom for sponsoring this post.
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7 Shades of Grey Nail Lacquer

August 21, 2014
I’m in that in between mood of summer and fall for beauty. I’m loving the vibrant bright colors for summer but also craving colors that are either more subdued or darker for fall. Right now I have an obsession for grey nail polishes. Here are seven shades of grey, some newer and some older colors that I’ve been loving.
All swatched side by side along with Chanel Eastern Light which is a pure white for a baseline reference on color:

Each color close up and swatched on the nails. JINsoon Kookie White is a super pale white grey with cool tones. It’s almost a pure white but the hint of grey prevents it from looking too harsh. I love the clean contrast it has with the skin. It applies very smoothly with two coats on the nails as long as you have a good base coat underneath. (Roundup of all my nail essentials and favorites here.) It’s fully opaque with two coats, but as with most white colors, you need to take extra care to apply precisely around the edges and near the cuticles.

YSL La Lacque Couture in Gris Deco #23 has been on my wish list for ages ever since YSL revamped their nail polishes. It’s a gorgeous pale grey with blue tones and has a slight hint of pearl mixed throughout. On the fingers depending on the light sometimes it looks more blue, other times more white or grey. It’s truly beautiful and clean looking. The pearl gives it a bit of dimension. This one was a bit sheer so I prefer it with three coats.

Sephora’s Formula X is another favorite of mine (more thoughts on Formula X here). The Sephora team sent the Formula X in Extraordinary for review and it surprised me. It looks so basic and plain in the bottle but it applies very smoothly with full coverage. I like that it’s a pale grey but has color in it so it doesn’t look white on the nails. I like the blue tones in it which brightens the color. I love beige-greys but sometimes they can make the skin look sallow or dirty. 

Burberry Storm Grey is another dove grey with blue tones. The brush is on the thick side which made it a bit difficult for me to get a clean application. It’s not impossible though. The formula is smooth, rich and opaque – it just takes a bit more time to apply. The color has the perfect blend of blue and grey mixed together. On the nails it’s a non-shimmer.

Dior Gel Shine Nail Lacquer in Junon is a powder blue color with a hint of grey. On me it leans more blue but I still see hints of grey tones in it. The Dior Gel Shine Formula is amazing. It has a lush cushy look with a high shine. Lasting power is really good and these are super easy to apply flawlessly. It’s shown below with two coats. 

Dior Metal Montaigne is also in the Gel Shine formula. It’s a metallic gunmetal color. Being a metallic color you can see brush strokes when applied but it’s on the subtle side. It also applies very smoothly. I like that it’s a darker color that isn’t too dark.

Last but not least, I’ve featured Chanel Frenzy again. Many think of this as a classic grey color. On me it pulls more beige as it’s a warmer-toned grey color. It has a sheer jelly finish so I need three coats for this one. It’s an understated classic neutral.

If I had to pick one favorite, it would be impossible. Each grey has different nuances in the undertone that make them all very unique. I am quite smitten with the pale opaque grey nail lacquers at the moment although I also love a good dove grey color. Do you like grey nail polish? What are your favorite greys for nails?

Sephora and JINsoon provided polishes for review consideration. All others purchased by me. For more information, refer to my Disclosures.

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What's In My Bag

Inside My Makeup Bag

June 26, 2014

Here is a peek at what I’ve had inside my makeup bag this week. The clear makeup bag is from Bobbi Brown which I found as a gift with purchase several years ago during a Neiman Marcus beauty event (for those looking for a clear makeup bag, a few other alternatives from MAC, Make Up For Ever, Sephora, Lulu).
  1. Chanel Les Beiges No. 20 for mid-day touch ups
  2. MAC Sharon Osbourne Refresh Mineralize Skinfinish Duo (still available at Macy’s)
  3. Chanel Hydra Beauty Lip Balm (new for me, review soon)
  4. Jo Malone Grapefruit Cologne (mini from a gift with purchase)
  5. By Terry Ombre Blackstar in Misty Rock which I works alone on the lids, it’s a medium pink shade with plum shimmer, I swipe directly from tube onto lids and then blend with the fingers
  6. Tom Ford Paradiso Lip Color Sheer (sold out most places, but still on tomford.com)
  7. Burberry Lip Glow Balm in Pink Peony
  8. MAC Brush #168SH (mini size discontinued)
  9. Marc Jacobs Overprotected Lust for Lacquer (love the tingle)
  10. YSL Kiss and Blush #3 Rose Libre still testing these out and figuring out to use these, I like them on the cheeks, for the lips, I’m still undecided
  11. Malin + Goetz Mojito Lip Balm is a staple, love the clear finish, decent price and the unique scent of this one (see Malin + Goetz Los Angeles store feature here)
  12. Guerlain Maxi Lash Waterproof Mascara I rarely touch up with mascara in the middle of the day, but I sometimes carry one with me because in the mornings I typically am running out the door and have missed a few makeup steps before I leave the house, mascara and lips are usually the last two items I apply
  13. Diptyque Geranium Odorata is such a pretty soft floral, the roller ball tip makes it easy to apply quickly, I keep it in the velvet pouch it comes with (not shown above)
  14. NARS Andromeda Dual-Intensity Eyeshadow accidentally made it into the makeup bag this week, but I’m not complaining
To see the full contents of what has been in my bag most of this week, check out the post on Styled Notes. Hope you have a great Thursday! 
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