Burberry has released two new single eyeshadows in Storm Grey No. 27 and Graphite No. 28 ($29 each for 2.5g, made in Italy). These weren’t released as part of any full collection but add ons with a recent color feature at Nordstrom. I ordered one online at Nordstrom even though it was listed on backorder for several weeks. (It shipped the next day anyways.) The other shade I ordered from Nordstrom San Francisco. Many thanks to Café Makeup for taking the time out of her busy schedule to e-mail me with a heads up. Otherwise I might have completely missed these. You might find swatches on Gummy Vision and Chic Science helpful for additional reference.
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Storm Grey No. 27 is a shimmery grey. It has a beautiful pearly quality similar to that of Pale Barley. The color of Storm Grey is a cool grey but it has some warm tan and beige tones to the shimmer. If you look at other blogs you will notice it looks warm in some photos and cool in others. This is because of the multi-dimensional quality the shimmer has. It swatches like a neutral-cool toned grey on the lids but the warmth in the shimmer prevents this from looking drab on the skin. The pigment and blendability of Storm Grey is very good. It layers very nicely on the lids and the amount of color is easy to control.
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Graphite No. 28 is a darker cool charcoal color. There is a slight hint of shimmer in it but on my eyes it applies more like a satiny matte. I’m a fan of darker smokey greys for eyes however with my olive skin, grey colors can be hard for me to pull off. They often are too blue-based or too dusty looking giving me a punched-eye look. This one for me is best layered along the upper lash lines on top of a emollient eyeliner or used in combination with a warmer tan or taupe shimmer eyeshadow base. The texture of this one is slightly dry and sheer, but not quite as bad as I found Gold Pearl to be.
More photos and swatches:
Some comparisons swatches, two sets. First compared to a few palettes:
Overall thoughts: I really like the look and texture of Storm Grey. It’s a good neutral-cool grey shimmer that isn’t too cool-toned. It layers beautifully on the eye for a good smokey eye look and blends really nicely. Graphite is a color I really want to love but just can’t. It’s a good color as a liner but the texture is on the dry side with a slightly sheer/chalky finish so it is a bit more difficult to work with alone.
Here are some comparisons I swatched for Burberry Summer Showers Lip Glow Balms and Nail Polishes. First for the nail polishes, Burberry Summer Showers colors are Orange Poppy No. 221, Pink Peony No. 222 and Pink Azalea No. 223 (swatches and original post here):
For the lip glow balms, there are coordinating colors for the nails/lips and cheeks, colors for Summer Showers are Orange Poppy No. 01, Pink Peony No. 02 and Pink Azalea No. 03:
The summer beauty release from Burberry Summer Showers features three coordinating colors for for lips, nails and cheeks in Orange Poppy, Pink Peony and Pink Azalea. Check the Behind the Scenes Burberry Summer Showers footage from Wendy Rowe. The items in the collection for summer include:
Lip Glow Balms ($28 each for 4 g/0.14 oz) are sheer tinted lip balms with SPF 18
Nail Polishes ($21 each for 8 ml/0.27 fl oz) come in three highly pigmented colors
Fresh Glow Blush ($38 each for 5 g/0.18 oz) are sheer dewy cheek sticks with a slight tint of color
I ordered the Lip Glow Balms and Nail Polishes from Nordstrom San Francisco. I decided to pass on the Fresh Glow Blushes since my skin reacts to their Liquid Foundation and Fresh Glow Liquids. I played with the items I ordered over the weekend. The colors are beautiful classics but the only items I feel are must-haves are the Orange Poppy No. 221 Nail Polish and Pink Peony No. 02 Lip Glow Balm. Since the colors are classics there are quite a few dupes. You can check out the full collection swatches on Gummy Vision and Natural N Chic Makeup.
My Burberry Summer Showers picks:
First up are the Lip Glow Balms. These are a sheer tinted lip balm. The color on these is very sheer if you swipe directly from the tube. To get more color use a lip brush (which is how I’ve been using them). Orange Poppy No. 01 goes on quite bright if you layer it swiping back and forth. If you swipe once or blot it goes on more natural and brightens the face. I found it photographed well. Pink Peony No. 02 is the perfect natural pink glow. It’s on the sheer side but it gives your lips a healthy pink glow. Pink Azalea No. 03 is lovely plum pink but the sheer texture makes it apply slightly unevenly on my lips (this can be fixed with a plum lip liner underneath). These are semi-hydrating. They have a glossy sheen in the finish but they aren’t super moist feeling like YSL Volupte Sheer Candy. I would say the pigment level falls somewhere in between YSL Rouge Volupte Shines and Tom Ford Lip Shines.
The Nail Polishes are all summer-perfect colors however Orange Poppy No. 221 is the only one I find unique. It’s a bright orange but not floruescent or super bright. There’s a muted quality to it which makes it a good summer to fall transition color. There is a slight pearly quality to the polish but o the nails it looks more like a cream. Pink Peony No. 222 is a gorgeous deep pink cream but similar to other pinks from Chanel, Dior and YSL. Pink Azalea No. 223 is a mauve plum with a slight dusty quality. I found it similar to Chanel April/Coup de Couer. The formula of these is really good and you can get full coverage with two coats. The brush is on the wider side which makes these a bit harder to apply if you have super small fingers like me (my ring finger is a Size 4). It’s still small enough to apply easily, for me it just took a bit more care to not get polish all over my cuticles.
Overall a lovely palette of sheer summer brights that aren’t too bright. The colors are naturally flattering and beautiful for everyday wear. I’m in love with Orange Poppy Nail Polish. I’ve swatched and photographed comparisons but haven’t had time to label the items. I’ll update this post later this evening with those for reference.
The Burberry Beauty Summer Showers collection can be found at Nordstrom and Burberry. I’m not sure whether or not these are limited-edition but will update if I receive more information.
Have you checked out Burberry Beauty’s summer items? Now that fall collections are starting to hit counters what was your favorite summer beauty collection this year?
I hope everyone is having a great week so far. Some new things in beauty on my radar.
There will be nine limited edition shades of nail polish in a 3.1 Phillip Lim for NARS Nail Collection. One of the shades, Insidious, will be a NARS Boutique exclusive. In addition a canvas nail pochette will be released. These will be available July 15, 2014 at NARS boutiques and narscosmetics.com; August 1, 2014 at Sephora and Dept./Specialty stores.
Frédéric Malle and Carlos Benaïm have created a new fragrance Eau de Magnolia that launches this month. I haven’t checked it out yet but I’m hoping to soon. It sounds absolutely divine. Some details on Kafkaesque Blog.
Chanel Fall Beauty has arrived online Chanel.com and Bloomingdales. I have yet to check out the collection in person but reports on Twitter and Instagram indicate it has arrived at some counters. I ordered the three nail polishes in Secret, Orage and Atmosphere online and expect them this week. I’m eyeing the glossimer and liquid eye liners but undecided on most of the collection. Several have e-mailed me that this is a see-before-you-buy kind of collection. If you’ve checked it out, please share in the comments.
Burberry has two new eyeshadows out in Storm Grey No. 27 and Graphite No. 28. Thanks to Café Makeup for letting me know about these. I called the counter in San Francisco and found they aren’t with any full collection but were two new colors released. I’ll have a review soon. In the meantime check out the swatches on Gummy Vision.
NudeStix is a new line of natural and nude pencils, exclusive to Space NK (or Space NK via Bloomingdales). All the products are in pencil/stick form. The Eye Pencils look like they have quite a few lovely neutral shimmers. The Lip and Cheek Pencils have a wider range of colors from light to dramatic. I think a trip to Space NK is in order soon.
This time of year my favorite colors for beauty are the bronzey metallics for well, everything: lips, nails and cheeks. For nails there have been quite a few lovely releases from early spring that I wanted to highlight.
Dior Vibrato 618 Gel Shine Nail Lacquer ($25) is a new color that was released with the reformulation of Dior nail polishes. This one is a bit harder to find in the US. You can order it from the Dior Boutiques (I ordered mine from Las Vegas Palazzo) or online at Dior.com or Selfridges. It’s a stunning metallic loaded with tons of different colors of sparkles. It has the complexity of Chanel Graphite but with a gold bronze base and with much better coverage. I found this to be a one-coat wonder but prefer two.
Tom Ford Incandescent ($32) was part of the Spring 2014 Collection and was highlighted back in February (here). It’s miraculously still available for purchase. If you haven’t looked at it yet, I highly recommend it. It’s a stunning rose gold bronze nail polish.
Bobbi Brown Raw Sugar Nail Lacquer ($15) was released with the Raw Sugar Collection (Shimmer Brick Eye Palette featured here), it’s a beautiful cool bronze metallic. I had to go to several counters before I found one that still had this in stock but it’s definitely still out there for purchase. You can still find it at Bloomingdales, Barneys and Bobbi Brown.
Burberry Metallic Khaki #202 ($21) is a dark bronze khaki gold shimmer. I like this one because it’s dark but not so dark that the shimmer doesn’t show through. In sunlight it’s really pretty. The texture is really smooth with the first coat being slightly transparent/jelly like. The second coat is what makes this one perfect.
YSL Bronze Aztec #28 ($25) is a dark metallic deep blackened bronze with gold shimmer. It has really good coverage with two thin coats and dries quickly.
Close ups and swatches, Dior Vibrato and Tom Ford Incandescent:
Bobbi Brown Raw Sugar vs Bronze:
Bronze:
Raw Sugar:
Burberry Metallic Khaki and YSL Bronze Aztec:
Comparison swatches below to some other bronzey metallic nail polishes: Chanel Delight (still at Chanel.com), Chanel Golden Sand (discontinued, similar Gold Shimmer in this Le Vernis Trio), Tom Ford Burnt Topaz (still available at Saks)
My current favorites are tied between Bobbi Brown Raw Sugar and Dior Vibrato. What’s your favorite bronzey metallic nail polish?
I hope everyone is having a good week so far. I’m still trying to get used to the fact that we are already into the month of June. For some mid-week beauty cravings, here are some highlights on items on my radar and a sneak peek of what’s coming out soon. Details from top left, clockwise.
MAC Pedro Lourenço will be released in stores and counters this Thursday. Items have been posted online early though and are selling out quickly. I was able to order the Nude Eyeshadow Quad ($44). I have my eye on Gold Mirror Lipglass and Mirror Lipglass ($16.50 each). I’ll be trying to track these down this Thursday.
NARS is coming out with 12 new shades and formula of eyeshadow called Dual-Intensity Eyeshadow ($29 each) which have a unique wet or dry application formula. The colors range from delicate peach pink to fierce black orchid. These will be available for sale beginning July 1 at NARS boutiques and on narscosmetics.com along with a new eyeshadow brush. In the meantime NARS has created two videos for a preview. (For full color listing, check out The Non-Blonde.)
Burberry Summer Showers has arrived online at Burberry with three new colors of Nail Polish in Orange Poppy 221, Pink Peony 222, Pink Azalea 223 ($21 each). There are corresponding Lip Glow Balms and Fresh Glow Blushes as well to match each shade. These look like beautiful brights perfect for summer weather.
Jo Malone has a new Cologne Intense in Tuberose Angelica ($145). Being a huge fan of the other Cologne Intense fragrances, I’m eager to try this one out. My Jo Malone rep said it has already arrived in store, perfect timing for Neiman Marcus’s Camp Gorgeous Event (June 5 through 15 or while supplies last, gift with purchases online and in stores).
Fresh Sugar Tinted Lip Balm in Sugar Rose is one of the classic pinks ($22.50 each). A new shade in Sugar Tulip has just been released. Sephora.com has an exclusive early release preview for purchase for those who are VIB Members. I ordered this last week and it just arrived. I can’t wait to try it as it looks like a fresh pink.
What’s on your radar this week? Did you order the MAC items when they went live online? Any other new or recent discoveries?
By popular request, I’ve gone through all my face and cheek brushes and picked out my favorites. I’ve been testing a number of brushes over many years (over a decade from my college days) and built my collection slowly over time. My experience with face brushes has been similar to that of my eye brushes. I started with a small handful of tools from Stila, Trish McEvoy and MAC. For many years I only had 4 face brushes and to this day I still think most can accomplish most of what you need for face makeup with a powder, blush, foundation and bronzing brush.
I’ve learned through makeovers, artist tips and a number of other blogs that there are a number of brushes with different materials, shapes, lengths and densities to help you apply your makeup better. I see face brushes like art tools – you probably need a few, but there are so many different kinds out there, they are fun to play with and experiment with.
The brushes I’ve picked are from more mainstream brands that are easily accessible.
There are a number of makeup artist brushes that look and sound amazing
from other blogs but I haven’t ventured into the artist brands. I’ve broken down my favorites into three categories. Face powder, blush and contour, and creams.
For all over face powders, whether it’s loose, pressed or powder foundation, I look for dense but soft brushes that will pick up product well and apply it evenly over the face. A more fluffy brush will give a sheerer application. I like larger ones that will cover your entire face with a few brush strokes.
MAC #134 ($53) is a brush that is currently only available at MAC stores/online but it has been released and re-released at other MAC counters numerous times, this is my favorite large flat powder brush, it’s dense, soft and perfectly rounded tip for easy powder application.
MAC #129 ($35) is the ultimate multi-taskers, it can be used for powder, blush or contour, for those who prefer a smaller brush for more precise control or someone who wants one brush that can do multiple things, this is your best option.
Chanel Powder Brush #1 ($65) is a well-designed brush with a domed tip, the bristles are slightly stiffer than MAC but the Chanel is still very soft and picks up powder well, I like this also with pressed powders such as Les Beiges and Dolce & Gabbana’s powder foundation because it applies powder evenly on the face.
Tom Ford Bronzer 05 ($115) is one that will break the bank but Tom Ford brushes are extremely well made, designed and deliver flawless makeup application. I purchased this as part of a brush set a couple holidays ago when they had a gift card event. This is the largest densest bronzer brush I’ve ever seen it feels like a soft kitten. If you look up reviews on this brush you will see it is well loved by many others (ie Café Makeup, RaeViewer, Temptalia)
Burberry Beauty Brush ($52) is my favorite short kabuki brush although a number of other brands are very similar in shape, size, material and feel. I purchased mine from Nordstrom although they don’t stock it online at the moment. You can still find it at Burberry. I like this for powder or bronzer. The reason I prefer this one is the handle is square while most other brands are round. This fits perfectly in my hand and I find it easier to hold. (MAC and Chanel are very similar in how they perform.)
Many cheek brushes are multi-purpose and can be used for both cream or powder. I don’t tend to use these for creams but I’ve had artists use these on me before for cream. I’m listing a number of brushes here that I love.
Tom Ford Cheek Brush 06 ($78) is a luxuriously soft blush brush, it picks up just the right amount of powder to apply color to the cheeks. As The Non-Blonde noted, this one is as plush as it gets. I find it perfect for Tom Ford blushes but works well with other brands. I personally don’t like it with super pigmented matte blushes because it will pick up too much color (like some NARS or MAC mattes/brights). For most everything else this one is perfect.
Chanel Blush Brush #4 ($54) is one my smallest blush brushes. It’s shaped and tapered in a way to layer blush easily. It’s a softer less dense brush so it works for a lighter application. If you’re one who likes to go easy on the blush but still wants to be able to control how much color goes on the face this is the best option.
MAC Duo Fibre Brush #187 ($42) is a classic must-have for highlighters. It’s the perfect brush for those Mineralized Skinfinishes to swipe a light blend of shimmer over the cheeks. I’ve had artists use this with foundation and cream products as well. It’s versatile and works well with any kind of highlighter whether it’s pressed, loose, or cream.
MAC Brush #168 ($35) is a classic contouring brush. It’s a good sturdy white hair brush with an angled tip. I find it medium-sized which makes it good for being able to control where you place the powder. It’s also a good brush for blending around the face.
NARS Contour Brush #21 ($42) is a new brush from NARS, you can read my detailedreview here, I usually don’t like angled brushes because I am more comfortable with more traditional brushes, this one makes contouring easy especially for those who aren’t pros at contouring (like myself).
MAC Brush Tapered Face Brush #138 ($53) is another harder-to-find brush, it’s made a re-appearance on limited-edition collections at counters, you can still find directly from MAC. For me this is the ultimate contouring brush because it’s shaped to place product right along the sides of the face where you want contour. It’s specially designed to streamline and enhance the makeup technique of
sculpting and shaping. Per MAC, “use the chiselled side for contour shaping of facial
planes; the pointed tip for applying and blending powder blush,
highlighter or face powder.” It’s another multi-functional brush that works well as a powder brush.
Tom Ford Cream Foundation Brush 06 ($72) is the ultimate blending brush for creams. If you ever try this at the Tom Ford counter they will demonstrate how it works with their foundation stick and blends the product on the face to perfection. With most brushes you will see some kind of streaks and still need blending with fingers or a sponge, the Tom Ford applies cream product (foundation or highlighter) streak-free.
Tom Ford Foundation Brush 01 ($72) is another cream brush designed to apply makeup streak-free. In my mind you don’t need both 01 and 06 (although the Tom Ford counter convinced me otherwise). They both perform the same for either liquid or cream foundations. If you’re trying to decide between one or the other, I would recommend 06 because it’s more unique in shape. If you want a standard foundation brush you can find many cheaper options. I find it a staple in my weekly makeup routine. It cleans easily – I use Bobbi Brown’s Brush spray cleaner after each use to lightly wipe it down but do a thorough washing after 2-3 uses.
Chanel Foundation Brush #6 ($45) is a classic foundation brush that is soft and applies foundation quite well. In my mind most foundation brushes are almost identical (i.e. MAC, Chanel, Prescriptives etc) in the bristles. The main difference is in the handle size. I like Chanel because it’s shorter and easier to travel with. I still get streaks no matter what brush I use (with the exception of Tom Ford) but this one works very well.
MAC Duo Fibre Brush #187 ($42) is repeated from above, I like this for cream highlighters because it will cover a large area with fewer swipes. It also works well for blending harsh lines or edges.
For face brush storage, I love Muji Acrylic Holders but they aren’t easy accessible for me and are often sold out online. I’ve used recycled candles from Jo Malone, Diptyque and Henri Bendel as alternatives. I also found clear jars from Crate and Barrel to be good for shorter brushes, tools or pencils. Stila and NARS Paint cans are also good for storing brushes if you are able to find them. Click on the Diptyque tag below for more storage ideas.
I usually use Neutrogena Body Wash to clean my brushes as the most economical method. I buy the large size at Costco which I use as a regular body wash anyways. I know many recommend baby shampoo but I always find it leaves a film on my brushes from the conditioning properties (might just be me). For those brushes that need extra work, I have three go-to’s for cleaning brushes which include MAC Brush Cleanser, Bobbi Brown Brush Cleaning Spray and Brush Cleanser (review here). These tend to be on the pricey side so frequent usage of these cleansers isn’t an option for me.
I realize this is a rather large and extensive list of brushes. You definitely do not need as many as I have collected over the years. I’ve been testing brushes for over a decade now (not to date/age myself) and have acquired them over time. Brush sets can be your most economical way to buy many at one time at a good price but those deal sets tend to be of lesser quality than individual brushes.
If I had to narrow my list down to my top picks these are what I’d narrow down my absolute essentials to: Chanel Blush #4, MAC Duo Fibre #187, MAC #134 or MAC #129, Tom Ford Cream Foundation 06, NARS Contour Powder #21.
I hope you found this brush guide helpful. The options can be overwhelming with all the shapes, sizes, materials and brands. To simplify your choices try thinking about what makeup products you gravitate towards in categories and whether it’s a powder, cream or liquid. Pick one for each main category to start.
While tools can be used for multiple areas, having more than one brush helps keep your makeup application cleaner and easier. For example while a powder brush can also double as a bronzer brush, having one brush for each product will prevent you from mixing products and accidentally brushing bronzer all over the face from left over product if you dip it into powder and bronzer (I’ve done it before and my entire face was several shades darker than the rest of my body).
What are your must-have face brushes? I would really love to hear what your tried and true are, new discoveries or staples. Also if you want to share how you store your face brushes I’m all ears. Do you store them upright in containers or put them in a brush roll?
