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Chanel

Base Makeup

Favorite Setting Powders: Pressed and Loose

March 7, 2015

I’ve discussed foundations, primers and tinted moisturizers on this blog but haven’t done a roundup on my favorite beauty powders. One of the keys to making my foundation or tinted moisturizer last is to use a good setting powder to make everything stay put. I’ve rounded up my favorites for my sensitive medium-toned skin.

Finding a good powder can take time and a lot of testing. Just like foundation, some colored powders look good once you apply it but can end up darkening after a few hours. Others might be too matte and make your face look completely flat. Then there are powders that are too heavy and can end up looking cakey on your skin or feel like it just sits on your skin.

When it comes to setting powders, I like both translucent kinds and ones with medium to medium-full coverage. If a powder is tinted but too sheer, I find it can look too powdery on the skin and I’d rather just stick with something that is translucent.

Translucent Loose Powders

I have two favorites for translucent loose powder that I’ve repurchased several times over. First is the Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Powder which is an oil-free loose powder. It has a silky texture and colorless finish. The powder itself looks white but it doesn’t make you look pale or turn the skin white. At my darkest, I am a Chanel B40 and this works when I have a tan. It’s lightweight but you can definitely see a soft transformation on your face once you apply it. This one sets foundation really well without looking too powdery or cakey. It’s also good for my sensitive skin, doesn’t irritate my face or emphasize pores.

My next favorite is the NARS Light Reflecting Loose Powder. This is another colorless powder that has contains what NARS calls a Light Reflecting Complex which optimizes light-reflection on the skin. It doesn’t add any visible shimmer or glow but it sets the makeup really well and once applied it melts into the skin and photographs really well. It does help to blur any lines or pores but won’t make them disappear completely. This gives a slightly more matte finish to the face compared to the Laura Mercier but it doesn’t make the skin look flat.

Loose Powders – Tinted

I’ve tried and used up a number of loose powders including Chanel, Giorgio Armani, Laura Mercier (Mineral), Becca and Clinique. Loose powder is one of those things where I use up entirely even if I don’t 100% love it as long as it doesn’t irritate or break out my skin. For me it’s challenging to find a tinted loose powder that has enough color or coverage. So many darken or look so powdery on the skin. Laura Mercier made several Loose Powders in Ivory and Beige but it appears they have been discontinued. I am hoping it makes a comeback or is simply being repackaged because Beige was one of the best loose powders I’ve used. The Laura Mercier Mineral Loose Powder is another alternative I’ve used before, it has a pearl finish similar to other mineral powders. In terms of loose mineral powders, the Laura Mercier is the best one I’ve tried, but it’s a bit heavy for my personal preference.

My all time favorite loose powder is Koh Gen Do Maifanshi Natural Lighting Powder. It comes in one shade that will suit fair to medium skin tones. I do hope they add more colors in the future because this one is really good. It’s made of an ultra-fine pearl powder formula that works to set foundation and add a bit of coverage to even out the skin. The soft pearls particles cover pores and balance skin
surfaces for a natural glow. The shimmer in this one is visible but it’s not over the top and it won’t make your face look shimmery.

Powder Foundation

I typically prefer powder foundation to set my liquid foundation. I know you might think it sounds too heavy, but I’ve really loved the way dusting powder foundation with a brush over liquids gives a flawless canvas to work with. Those who have seen me in person usually can’t tell I’m wearing foundation (which is always a good thing because you don’t want it to look super obvious). My all time favorite used to be Chanel Double Perfection Powder but they’ve reformulated it several times and I’ve found that I am sometimes in between colors. Right now I’m in between Beige 20 and 30. If you can find a good color match this is a really good silky smooth powder that adds the perfect amount of medium coverage. Using a sponge will add more coverage but I prefer applying this one with a brush. It’s a good touch up powder too for mid-day. It won’t cake if you touch up your nose or forehead.

My current favorite is the Dolce & Gabbana Powder Foundation in Warm 100. I have alternated between Warm and Tan depending on how dark my skin is, but 100 has been my exact match for a long time. This one covers perfectly and flawlessly. It won’t irritate or break out my super sensitive skin (MAC and Bobbi Brown always break me out). It has a soft velvety finish that doesn’t cake, darken or look overdone while still giving you a decent amount of coverage to even out the skin.

Pressed Powder

I’ve avoided regular pressed powders for a long time because so many just don’t look good on my skin. They look like they sit on the face or alter the color of my foundation. I’ve found three that are phenomenal. The Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Powders are among my favorite. (Review + swatches here). #20 is my match for an all over dusting powder. #30 and #40 are good for subtle contouring or adding color for warmth. These are ultra smooth powders that have a sheer to medium finish that just melts into the skin. I dust with a powder brush to set powder and it gives a sheer smooth finish.

The Charlotte Tilbury Air Brush Flawless Finish Skin Perfecting Micro-Powder is as good as pressed powders get. I saw this one applied on my friend at the Nordstrom Charlotte Tilbury counter at the grove. My friend already had some tinted moisturizer on, she just needed a touch up. I watched her skin transform into this amazing airbrushed finish that looked amazingly natural. It evens out the skin but won’t alter the color of your foundation (as long as you get a good match). The only downside is the color selection is pretty limited and there’s a big jump in between the three colors. I use #2 Medium and am a Chanel B30 in foundation. My friend is a Chanel B10 in foundation and was matched to #1 Fair.

Tom Ford Translucent Finishing Powder is another really good pressed powder. I’ve had this one applied on my face numbers times at the Tom Ford counter and it took me a long time before I was willing to splurge on this one (it’s $77, yes ouch!). My match is Ivory Fawn which looks light in the compact but it has a sheer enough finish to be quite forgiving (I use the Traceless Perfecting in Bisque 4). The only downside (other than the ridiculous price tag) is the color selection is limited. There is a huge gap between Ivory Fawn and Sahara Dusk which is the next shade up. If you are either fair or tan you will have better luck finding a match compared to those of us with medium skin. Once I get tan in the summer, I will be in that gap.

For translucent pressed powders, I’ve found most end up looking and feeling too powdery on my skin. The only one I’ve tried and loved is the NARS Light Reflecting Pressed Powder which performs the same way on me as the loose version. It sets the foundation with a sheer finish and gives the skin a slightly matte looking finish. I prefer the loose version because I find it lasts longer on my skin compared to the pressed.

I hope you found this roundup of setting powders helpful! As always I’d love to hear from you what your favorites are. Do you have any tried and true powders? Do you prefer loose or pressed?
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What's In My Bag

Inside My Bag

March 4, 2015

This week I’ve been playing with the Charlotte Tilbury Beach Sticks, new Burberry Eye Shadow formulation, the Dior Eye Reviver Palette, Marc Jacobs Contouring Duos, Chanel Rouge Cocos and much more. Thank you for your patience while you wait for reviews – I know some of you have e-mailed me and been asking when the reviews will be posted. I’m working as fast as I can. It’s only Wednesday and I’m already exhausted. I’ve been trying to go
easy on caffeine so I’ve been coffee-free for a few days which has
impacted my energy levels. Here’s a quick peek at what’s in my bag this week. Why I carry this much stuff is beyond me, although I have been traveling on a few mini road trips this week.

Malin + Goetz Mojito Lip Balm (reviewed)
Chanel Glossimer in Fleur D’Eau (review)
Charlotte Tilbury Beach Stick in Ibiza (review tomorrow)
L’Artisan La Chasse aux Papillon
Tom Ford Lips & Boys in Peter and Ian (review)

Marc by Marc Jacobs Aviator Sunglasses
Louis Vuitton Wallet, Goyard Tote, Sony NEX-6
Compartes Chocolate Bar

What do you have in your bag this week? I hope your week has been going well! P.S. Kelly Clarkson’s new album Piece by Piece is awesome.
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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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Chanel Joues Contraste Powder Blush in Crescendo #250

February 21, 2015

There’s a new Chanel Joues Contraste Powder Blush called Crescendo ($45 for 4 g/0.14 oz, made in France, limited-edition). This is a soft luminous baby pink in the baked formula. For those new to Chanel blushes, in the powder form there are two formulas. Most US-sold blushes are pressed powders while all other countries have blushes in the same color/names but are baked. I almost always prefer the US version since I find the baked ones more sheer in color and quite a bit more powdery in texture. Crescendo seems to perform a bit more like the US versions even though it is baked and had quite a bit of powder kick-up when I dipped a brush into it.

Crescendo is a soft but buildable pink color. I would call it light to medium, leaning more towards medium in color. It looks bright in the compact but applies like a soft sheer pink. There is enough color in the blush that it shows up on my medium skin. It’s a neutral-cool color on me and gives a natural pink flush. It has an airy feel to it with the lightness and brightness the pink has. It’s not shimmery or matte, but rather has a soft luminous satiny finish.

Here it is swatched on the arm:

Comparisons to a few other blushes, note these were swatched with a light to medium hand, using an eyeshadow brush. The colors are all buildable for more pigment.

Chanel Narcisse (discontinued)
Chanel Angelique (new for spring, review here)

I found the closest dupe to Chanel Crescendo to be MAC Lovecloud in the pans and swatches, the MAC is slightly more pigmented and darker. I have a number of other older/discontinued Chanel and MAC blushes I suspect are similar that are unfortunately still boxed up (to be organized and put away in makeup drawers and shelves over the next week). Chanel Crescendo is a lovely soft pink but does seem to be something you can easily duplicate, if you own a lot of Chanel blushes I think you can safely skip and shop your stash. That being said, I do think it can be hard to find a good baby pink that has enough brightness in it to bring the skin to life, that isn’t too pale and that also doesn’t darken or look muddy after it warms up on the skin. Crescendo stays put on the skin without turning color and works as a good in between light and bright giving a luminous glow.

Due to the powdery texture, I do think this will look chalky or powdery on your face if you have super dry skin. It works well on mine right now, I always wear moisturizer + foundation + powder, but if you are slightly dry, I’d recommend adding a dewy cream blush or highlighter underneath to help the color adhere better to the skin (something like Edward Bess Sunlight works wonders).

I’m really happy with my purchase even though it is fairly similar to other pinks in how it wears on the face. I bought mine sight unseen from Chanel.com. It’s currently listed as limited-edition.

Did you check out anything from the Collection La Perle de Chanel? What did you end up getting?

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Chanel Rouge Allure Virevoltante and Aqualumiere Glosses in Tutu and Corset

February 20, 2015

I ordered three of the four lip items from the Collection La Perle de Chanel including the Rouge Allure in Virevoltante #158 ($36) and two Aqualumiere Glosses ($30 each) in Tutu #91 and Corset #92 (all limited-edition). All three are pinks with a very spring-like feel. Right now it appears the entire collection is exclusive to Chanel.com and Chanel Boutiques that carry the full beauty line (like Rodeo Drive, NY on 57th Street etc.). It may arrive at counters at a later date but I don’t have any information on release/availability. You may want to refer to the Chanel thread at Specktra for more insight and in-store spotting.

Swatches of the three lip colors (please excuse the misspelling of the rouge allure, should be labeled Virevoltante):

The Rouge Allure in Virevoltante is a creamy raspberry pink color. There is a tiny bit of shimmer in it, much like the secret shimmers in some of the nail lacquers. You see it in the tube, but it doesn’t translate on the lips. This gives the Rouge Allures a beautiful sheen and a bit of dimension. On my lips it’s a cream and although it doesn’t change color once applied (i.e. darken or oxidize), anything with a hint of fuchsia tends to pull very bright on my complexion. The coverage is medium but layer-able. There is no detectable scent from what I can tell. Lasting power is quite good until you touch the lips with a coffee cup or snack. It’s creamy, non-drying and feels very lush on the lips without that overly-moisturizing feel.

The two Aqualumiere Glosses are both very sheer. I’ve purchased quite a few of the glosses in this formula so it was no surprise that these would be almost transparent on the lips. On me they are too sheer to wear alone, but I’ve almost always liked wearing Aqualumiere glosses on top of lipsticks. They had a hint of shine and color without altering your lipstick color too much. They are more enhancing rather than tinting and feel super luxurious and smooth. If you like more color or if you have a lot of sheer glosses, I’d say skip these unless you’re a die-hard Chanel fan. I like these and will use them, but they will probably not be everyone’s cup of tea, especially at the $30 price.
Tutu is a baby pink with the prettiest soft shimmers. Corset is a brighter raspberry pink that has a rather complex mix of pink, rose and some fuchsia shimmers making it look different depending on how the light hits it. Both have a refined shimmer in the color (not frost). They add a lovely glow to the lips and these make mine look full.

There is one more item in the Perle collection for lips which includes this stunning lip palette called the Harmonie Levres Lip Palette in Arabesque ($55 for five rosy-toned lip colors). It was seriously tempting for me but I resisted purchasing it because I rarely use lip palettes, I tend to reach for lipstick tubes instead.
Overall I give the Rouge Allure Lipstick a huge thumbs up. It’s opaque, creamy and has a naturally glossy sheen. I like that it’s a vibrant raspberry pink that isn’t too bright making it wearable for everyday and also for night. I personally adore the Aqualumiere Glosses but the sheerness makes the colors easy to replicate with other lines.

You can find the Collection La Perle de Chanel online now at Chanel.com. All the lip items are limited-edition. If you’ve spotted in store or at counters please share in the comments 🙂

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Chanel Mysterio Illusion D’Ombre and Perle de Lune Stylo Yeux Waterproof

February 18, 2015

I ordered two eye items from the Collection La Perle de Chanel which includes the Mysterio Illusion D’Ombre ($36) and Perle de Lune Stylo Yeux Waterproof ($32, limited-edition). Both are cool-toned shimmers true to classic Chanel style.

Mysterio Illusion D’Ombre is a platinum silvery color that has a slight hint of khaki and silver mixed in. It’s a color that contrasts with my olive skin making this more dramatic on my medium-toned skin. On my lids it’s extremely sparkly with a dramatic sheen but you can blend out the color easily. I applied with my fingers and upon first swipe on the lids it looks extremely opaque. I’m usually in the 30 range for Chanel foundations. If you are fairer than me I suspect this color will look more sparkly and less dramatic in color on your skin. If you are darker this will look clearly silver. In the pot it looks neutral, on my olive skin it’s more cool-toned. The sparkle and shimmer is very fine and when I applied this with my fingers and a brush I experienced no fall out.

Perle de Lune Stylo Yeux Waterproof is a twist up eyeliner that is a stunning cool-toned grey shimmer. The color is almost blueish with a slight purply tint on my skin, but my olive skin tends to bring out the cool tones in anything silvery colored. This is the most beautiful color I’ve seen in a liner and it’s dark enough that I can actually wear it comfortably as a liner versus some of the lighter silvers that are gorgeous but, well, not something I can wear as a traditional liner. I’ve tried and bought a number of liners in the Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof formula and the wear and texture of these pencils is not always consistent. I’ve had a few that felt dry and didn’t glide on the lids well. I know some other bloggers I adore and respect have reported inconsistencies with their liners as well in other shades. I was relieved and pleased to find that the Perle de Lune I ordered glides on the eyes smoothly without any issues. There is no patchiness in the color or tugging with this pencil.

One more swatch shot with some sunlight shining through shows how these colors glow:

A few comparison swatches:

By Terry Ombre Mercure #15, Chanel Illusion D’Ombre in Fantasme, Chanel Illusion D’Ombre in Mysterio, Chanel Illusion D’Ombre in Epatant, Armani Eyes to Kill #9, #19 (discontinued), #4, #17 (discontinued), Laura Mercier Caviar Eye Stick in Moonlight

Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner in Underground, Chanel Stylo Yeux in Perle de Lune, Silver Light, Rose Platine, Chanel Le Crayon Yeux in Khaki Platine, Dolce & Gabbana Eyeliner #12 and #15, Burberry Effortless Kohl in Storm Grey, MAC Khol in Dig It! (discontinued)

I’m overall really pleased with both the Mysterio eyeshadow and Perle de Lune eyeliner. They are beautiful easy to wear colors that are perfect for spring and updating your makeup look for the season. For this collection, there are a few other items for the eyes including the Les 4 Ombres in Tisse Rhapsodie (I passed because I know it’s something I won’t wear due to the pastel/purple colors) and Tisse Vendome (repromoted quad, review here).
You can find the Collection La Perle de Chanel online at Chanel.com now. I am still trying to find out if this will show up at counters. If you’ve spotted it, please share in the comments 🙂
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Sneak Peek: Collection La Perle de Chanel Picks

February 18, 2015

Chanel just released new items in the Collection La Perle de Chanel on Chanel.com. I ordered some items at the end of last week and I couldn’t be happier with my picks. The colors are classic Chanel beauties. Here is a quick sneak peek, I’ll have swatches and reviews up today and tomorrow of what I ended up ordering. Above shown from left to right:

Virevolante #158 Rouge Allure (limited-edition)
Crescendo #250 Joues Contraste (limited-edition)
Perle de Lune #916 Stylo Yeux Waterproof (limited-edition)
Mysterio #102 Illusion D’Ombre
Corset #92 and Tutu #91 Aqualumiere Gloss (both limited-edition)

There are some items I did not order that are also in the collection including:

Harmonies Levres Lip Palette (limited-edition)
Tisse Rhapsodie #248 Les 4 Ombres (limited-edition)
Tisse Vendome #204 Les 4 Ombres (repromote, review here)
Inimitable Intense Noir #10 (repromote)
Rouge Coco Baume (repromote)

Right now it appears the collection is exclusive to Chanel.com. I don’t know if counters will be receiving it at a later date. I have read reports that Bergdorf Goodman had the collection in stores. More info and thoughts on the items are on Specktra.net. If you are interested in the items I suggest ordering sooner than later since the colors look like they are almost all limited-edition colors.

Stay tuned!
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