A quick sneak peek at reviews to be posted soon, some things I’ve been testing now for a couple weeks, others I’m working my way through swatches as fast as I can:
These come in 6 shades and the darker shades Bloom Berry 4, Fig Fiction 5 and Toffee Cream 6 and look absolutely stunning, I think a trip to Barneys is in order soon (see Mandarina Pulp and the lighter/brighter colors swatched here)
Many of you have asked for recommendations on clear makeup bags, these Small Clarity Clutches by One Truffle look chic, sleek and absolutely adorable (they’ve been added to my wish list)
3. Charlotte Tilbury Beauty
The line is launching in the US in September, I have my eye on so many things from her line since I’ve fallen in love with the Filmstar Bronze & Glow, I placed an order from Charlottetilbury.com because I couldn’t wait to try some items, I’m loving the look of her Beach Sticks.
This Christian Louboutin nail polish has been on my radar for a while, I couldn’t justify the $50 price tag on a nail polish, but so many lovely readers from Europe and the US have been emailing me with raves and also requests to review, I caved and ordered, will report when it arrives.
5. Lash Growth Serums
I’ve had my eye on several lash serums on the market and I personally know several girls who have use Latisse and Neulash and they have lashes that are seriously to die for, I’m going to try one soon.
This sounds intriguing with it’s multi-purpose benefits, have you tried this before? It’s supposed to be a makeup remover and lash moisturizer that helps them grow.
This looks like an exquisite classic palette, I’ve splurged on quite a few eyeshadow palettes already this fall, I’ll have to investigate in person to see if it’s unique enough to buy, but the colors look perfect for an everyday polished look.
8. NARS Audacious Lipstick Collection
NARS will be releasing 40 shades lipstick to celebrate their 20th Anniversary in the Audacious Lipstick Collection, colors will include a full range of provocative hues from neutral nudes to striking reds and bold pinks, housed in a modern, matte-black metallic case with a magnetic closure, launching on Narscosmetics.com on September 1st (10 of the shades will be exclusive to Barneys).
9. J.Crew Ceramic Tray
J.Crew has a new Gold/Ivory Ceramic Jewelry Tray which looks gorgeous for storing small accessories and trinkets. I have these in previously released patterns and they make nice accents for the home.
As fall collections and new product releases trickle in, what’s on your radar? As beauty fans in the US wait for Charlotte Tilbury’s beauty line to arrive I’m living vicariously through UK girls and their swatches. If you’ve tried the line please tell me what your favorites are. For lashes, do you have any favorite lash treatments or serums?
By Terry’s famous rose balm now comes in six different tinted versions of the Baume de Rose Nutri-Couleur ($56 for 7 g/0.24 oz, made in France). Right now the availability of colors is a bit limited, but they should all be at By Terry counters soon. Three of the shades in Rosy Babe 1 (a baby pink), Mandarina Pulp 2 (fresh mandarin coral) and Cherry Bomb 3 (a lush cherry red pink) are available now exclusively at Space NK. The other three Bloom Berry 4, Fig Fiction 5 and Toffee Cream 6 are currently available at Barneys.
I checked the first three shades out last week at Space NK with the Beauty Professor. We’re both fans of the regular Baume de Rose (my thoughts here and here). Below are the three shades we saw in store at Space NK in Bloomingdales (taken with an iPhone in store with bad lighting):
For the tinted colors, I picked out Mandarina Pulp 2. It’s a lush orangey shade that gives a rich but soft tint of coral. There’s no shimmer in it but it has a slightly transparent quality and a shine that gives the lips a luscious glow.
Here it is swatched on me:
The tinted Baume de Rose Nutri-Couleurs are $56 and smaller in size at 7g compared to the regular Baume de Rose priced at $60 for 10g. The circumference of each tube is the same but the tinted ones are a bit shorter. In case you haven’t seen my previous review on the original Baume de Rose, it’s one of my favorite lip balms. It took me several years of thinking about it before I decided to splurge on a $60 lip balm. My lips are normal but sensitive and prone to drying out with certain lipsticks (like MAC). It usually takes a couple days for my lips to restore to the normal state (for some reason I still can’t resist MAC lipsticks). With the By Terry Baume de Rose, if I use this at night my lips don’t peel the next day. It’s rich, lush and I find it amazing for my lips although it’s definitely not a must-have. There are other lip balms that work well without the high price tag, but I have no regrets and love it. The tub is quite large and it will last a long time. My other favorite lip balm picks reviewed here and here.
The By Terry Baume de Rose Nutri-Couleur vs regular Baume de Rose:
A definite splurge but the Baume de Rose Nutri-Couleurs give a luscious color with a super hydrating feel. You can find three of By Terry Baume de Rose Nutri-Couleurs now at Space NK. Some are on pre-order at Barneys.
As requested, here are the items I brought with me on my recent trip. All the items were carried in my well-loved Bobbi Brown Train Case (from 12+ years ago and no longer available for sale, Old Hollywood Version still available). I tend to overpack for makeup so the case limits what I bring. If it can’t fit, it doesn’t travel with me. I’ve split the items into three categories: Lips, Face/Cheeks and Eyes.
Tom Ford Spanish Pink is one of the few Tom Ford lipsticks I’ve used up, this is my second tube, it’s the perfect pink peach nude cream (review here when I used to be super tan)
Estee Lauder Crystal Baby Lip Gloss has been a lipgloss I’ve repeatedly applied, it’s a nice youthful baby pink shimmer with a hint of warmth
Nudestix Soul Lip & Cheek Pencil is something I brought with me as a multi-tasking product, I didn’t end up using it on my trip because I kept using the YSL
I brought two bronzers with me on accident with NARS Matte Multiple in Vientiane and MAC Refresh Mineralize Skinfinish Duo (I meant to grab a pink multiple) but they ended up being good layered together, sometimes I need a slight creamy/dewy base to put underneath powder blush
For eyes I tried to be a minimalist but kinda went a bit overboard, I brought one eyeshadow palette in Urban Decay Naked 3 which has all the colors I need for the rest of my life
For night time eyes, I used By Terry Ombre Blackstars in Bronze Moon and Frozen Quartz layered together and added a tiny bit of powder shadows on top to intensify the look for a bronze and pink smokey eye, I also brought along Tom Ford Eye Defining Pen, it’s the only black liquid liner that I have been able to get to work for me (it stays put, applies evenly and doesn’t bleed)
To those who asked to see what I brought with me, I hope this helps! I always have a makeup overpacking problem so my fellow beauty lovers – if you have any tips I’d love to hear what you bring with you on trips/travel whether it’s a weekend getaway, a week trip or extended vacation.
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).
Jo Malone Grapefruit Cologne (mini from a gift with purchase)
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
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
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)
Lately I’ve been a fan of these swipe and go shimmery wash eyeshadows. I like a creamy texture so there’s no extra base needed for good pigment and blending. I like neutrals but have discovered a few non-nude shadows I find good for color, dimension and glow. Just add a simple black or bronze liner and mascara and you’re good to go (for lazy makeup days). I also find them good for touch ups if you’re transitioning from day to night to add a bit of depth to the eyes. The creamy textures mean you apply straight from the tube if it’s a twist up stick or right from the compact with your fingers and smudge/blend easily. My current favorite neutrals:
NARS Soft Touch Shadow Pencil in Iraklion ($25) is a mauve rose quartz taupe fawn shimmer. It blends out to a sheer finish but nicely contours the lids. You can layer for more color and it also works well as a base for powder shadows but won’t change the color.
Laura Mercier Caviar Stick in Rose Gold ($26) is a shimmery gold with a slight hint of pink tones, on me it pulls more champagne gold but the pink prevents it from being a pure yellow gold. It’s on the creamy side so if you have oily lids you may need a matte base underneath.
By Terry Ombre Blackstar ($43 each) in Ombre Mercure (interesting oyster that flashes gold and a bit of green sparkle), Frozen Quartz (cool medium pink sparkle) and Misty Rock (plum pink) are all intense creamy shadows, I adore each of them alone on the lid with a simple liner. They are on the pricey side but the quality, texture and lasting power make these worth every penny.
RMS Cream Eyeshadow in Solar ($28) is something I use on a weekly basis, alone or as a base, there’s something so pretty about a rich gold shimmer for the eyes that warms up the complexion (review here)
Chanel Illusion D’Ombre in Emerville ($36) is a classic champagne peach shimmer. I think it’s one neutral shimmer everyone should have in their beauty collection. It makes a lovely wash all over the lids.
NARS Dual-Intensity Eyeshadows ($29 each) in Europa and Andromeda (reviews here) are nice when layered together for that simple polished glow look for the eyes.
Swatched side by side you can see they look intense when swatched straight from the tube, the pigment is good and textures are super easy to blend and layer. They aren’t quite as frosty when you blend them out. My assessment for shimmer levels:
Most shimmery are the By Terry Ombre Blackstar sticks but if you’ve tried these you know they blend out really nicely but maintain the color. RMS Solar is on the shimmery side as well but the gold base blends well with my natural skintone almost like a contour.
Medium shimmers are Laura Mercier Rose Gold and Chanel Emerville.
Sheer shimmers are NARS Iraklion and Dual-Intensity Eyeshadows in Europa and Andromeda (most in this formula are intense, but I have the softest ones).
What are your favorite creamy shimmer shadows for an all over wash? Do you have any swipe and go kind of shadows you love? Or are you one who usually prefers to layer more color on the eyes?
For the eyes, I picked up a few more By Terry Ombre Blackstar Cream Eye Shadows and have been thoroughly impressed with the pigment and wear time. NARS has new Dual-Intensity Eyeshadows coming out July, I’ll have two to share with you soon. (Pictured above is Europa). Still making it to my favorites list is Guerlain Maxi Lash Waterproof. It stays put, separates the lashes, thickens, volumizes and holds the curl. Let me know if you want a full review. Topshop Coal Eye Kohl Pencil has become a staple in my weekly makeup routine (review here). I love that it’s a true black, applies very smoothly and stays put.
My skin has been acting up for the past few months because of a number of things. I’ve started running and that combined with weather changes and a bit of extra stress has turned everything upside down. I’ve started experimenting by adding a few extra steps to my skincare routine. I’ve found that using a cleansing oil such as MAC Cleansing Oil helps break down long-wear sunscreens and foundations. I’ve also been mixing up my serum routine with Chanel Le Jour and Tatcha Luminous Deep Hydration Firming Serum under my regular moisturizer. I alternate with these and my skin has improved in texture within the course of a week.
I’ve also found myself reaching for Caudalie Hand and Nail Cream on a regular basis (review here). I alternate hand creams depending on what’s closest to me or what’s in my purse (I have various hand creams scattered around the house, car and desk). I like the fresh scent of Caudalie and the compact size is perfect for putting inside my makeup bag. Last but not least I got a Sephora Beauty Insider sample of the Elizabeth and James Nirvana White which is a pretty light floral. (It’s still available online for redeeming and I spotted it in stores last week.) There’s a new 1000 point perk online for VIB Rouge Members. Seeing as I only have 50 points, I don’t think I will be getting it any time soon.
What are you loving right now? Did you discover anything new or fun over the weekend?
This post features some items sent as press samples from Topshop and NARS for consideration. All opinions are my own. For more information refer to my disclosures.
