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In Rotation | Beauty Look Book Mascara and Lash Primer Picks

July 18, 2014

I typically limit myself to a couple of mascaras I use at any given time since I keep them for 3 months max before tossing but I’ve been testing new ones and I’ve discovered some new favorites. I have half a dozen I’m using right now and I’ve picked out my favorites to share.
When it comes to my lashes, I’m really picky with mascaras or lash primers. I have really straight ones that often don’t hold the curl with most mascaras even with a lash curler (my essentials here). I also find a lot of black mascaras turn grayish looking after they dry on my lashes, smudge or end up feeling crunchy and flake during the day. When it comes to mascara I look for something that will last all day without clumping, flaking, smudging and something that stays a true lush black color and holds the curl.

I’m hesitant to try lash primers and lash serums because I don’t like having an extra layer of product on my sensitive eyes. I’m a novice in this area so if you have any recommendations I am all ears.
The mascara and lash products I have in rotation right now:

  • Shu Uemura Lash Builder ($33) is a lash builder serum to help create a longer lusher lash look, I’ve been testing this for a few weeks and am still undecided on what I think but it’s been in my lash rotation, it darkens and defines the lashes when you apply it but I haven’t seen a visible difference after I apply colored mascara, reviews seem to indicate you will see results over time
  • Diorshow Maximizer Lash Plumping Serum ($28.50) is something I’ve used for several years, I don’t use it everyday but it’s a favorite base that helps mascara adhere better to the lashes and makes it catch the lashes resulting in a fuller look, I like that it doesn’t impact the curl after using a lash curler
  • Guerlain Maxi Lash Waterproof ($30) is something I discovered thanks to RaeView, it’s the first waterproof mascara I’ve tried that doesn’t make my lashes feel crunchy, this one needs 2-3 uses to break it in, it gives lush rich black lashes, volumizes, doesn’t clump/flake/smudge and defines the lashes nicely, I haven’t tested it at the beach or pool but it seems to be sweat proof and lasts all day
  • Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Stretch ($32) is a staple in my beauty arsenal, I’ve repurchased this numerous times (probably a dozen tubes by now), it’s my favorite mascara of all time because it does everything I want – lengthens, defines, thickens, darkens the color and stays put, it’s easy to apply and gets the little corners easily because of the tapered brush tip, the bristles are well designed to grab on to the lashes and glides on easily
  • Chanel Le Volume de Chanel ($30) is the only Chanel mascara I like, it’s a lightweight mascara that glides on easily and doesn’t clump, it stays put and doesn’t dry to a grayish finish like other Chanel mascaras do (at least for me), I like the Black and Bleu (navy) for fun, but mostly use the black
  • NARS Larger than Life Volumizing Mascara ($25) is another favorite that I’ve repurchased numerous times, it is one of my favorite volumizing mascaras that doesn’t flake or smudge, this one has a big fluffy brush so it can be prone to clumping after a while due to buildup, I wipe down the brush with a small piece of paper wrapped around the tip (tissue or paper towels will get caught in the bristles, so paper actually is best to clean the brush) and then it’s back to perfection
If I were pressed to pick just one mascara to live with the rest of my life, it would be the Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Stretch. If you’re looking for something more wallet-friendly, a few other  less expensive favorites I’ve tested and purchased numerous times include Clinique High Impact Mascara ($16), Topshop 3d Curve Mascara ($20, or in this Eyeliner/Mascara Set for $24) and MAC Plushlash Mascara ($16) has been a long-time favorite. I’ve tried dozens of drugstore mascaras (literally) and for some reason they’ve all turned grayish in color on my lashes and I’ve never found one that holds the curl.

What are your holy grail lash primers, serums and mascaras? I’ve been researching lash serums and would love your thoughts on any you’ve tried.
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On My Radar

July 16, 2014

Here are a few things on my radar this week. Fall collections are starting to arrive and I’m excited about the upcoming releases. From the top left, clockwise:
  • NARS Fall 2014 launches this week online at narscosmetics.com, I have my eye on Dolomites Eyeshadow Duo, Unlawful Blush and the two new Satin Lip Pencils in Bansar and Mandore
  • Marc Jacobs Beauty has launched some new Lust for Lacquer lip glosses, there are three new Lip Vinyl Sheers in Shiny, Magic and Superstar and two new Lip Vinyl Full shades in Shooting Stars and Satisfaction
  • I’ve been on the hunt for new sunglasses and after hours of searching, I think I’m finally narrowed it down to either these Marc by Marc Jacobs aviators or some Kate Spade classic shades that are on sale
  • Chanel Les 4 Ombres have hit counters, I’m in love with Poésie and Tissé Rivoli but have my eye on Tissé Vénitien (greens), Tissé Grabrielle (smokey) and Tissé Vendome because the formula is just so amazing with rich smooth pigment
  • For the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, I picked up the MAC Coral Look in a Box, the eyeshadow trio has really pretty pigmented colors and the lips options are stunning peachy corals, I’ll review this soon but I give this a huge thumbs up
  • In the past few months I’ve been testing out some cleansing oils from Chanel, Tatcha and Shu Uemura, I’ll have a report soon on the ones I’ve tested but in the meantime I’d love to hear what your favorites are

What’s on your radar this week? Were you able to pick up anything from the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale yet? With fall beauty collections starting to trickle in stores, what do you have your eye on?

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Chanel Eye Makeup

Chanel Les 4 Ombres Multi-Effect Quadra Eyeshadow | Poésie #234 and Tissé Rivoli #226

July 15, 2014

Chanel just released nine new Les 4 Ombres Multi-Effect Quadra Eyeshadows in the US ($61 each for 2g/0.07 oz). I’ve been eagerly waiting for these quads to arrive in the US and am so happy they are finally here. I purchased two of the shades in Poésie #234 (limited-edition) and Tissé Rivoli #226. These come in the round pan format but the formula is different from most non-US quads that come with the round shapes. The texture is slightly creamy with amazing pigment and shimmer. They blend well on the lids without any base needed. The pigment is truly incredible and very easy to control. I’ve been a huge fan of the regular Les 4 Ombres (US versions) – I think the new ones are even better.

Poésie #234 is a limited-edition shade. It showed up online at Chanel.com and Macy’s for a limited time but currently isn’t listed. I contacted Nordstrom once the quads launched to see if Poésie would be listed and was told it is an in-store exclusive. I’m not sure if it will show up online again or not but you may need to track it down in stores like I did. It’s a stunning quad with a warm tan beige shimmer, an ivory shimmer, a dark blackened smokey brown-plum and a soft lilac shimmer. This is great for an everyday eye but the black shade is amazing for a smokey eye look.

Tissé Rivoli #226 is a neutral palette with warm neutral shades. It has a similar effect on me when I compare it to Poesie, but the Tisse Rivoli is slightly warmer and some of the shades are a tiny bit more sparkly. I don’t think you need both, but they are both really stunning.

Here they are swatched side by side, note that the shimmers are highly reflective so they look more shimmery in the photos than they are in real life. These were swatched with the sponge applicator:

I pulled a few other palettes to compare:

Fitting all the quads on one arm proved to be impossible so I have two sets of swatches. Comparisons show that Raffinement is very similar to Poesie and Tisse Rivoli:
Chanel Kaska Beige (discontinued)

Chanel Rives (discontinued)

Overall a huge thumbs up for both the new Les 4 Ombres in Poésie #234 and Tissé Rivoli #226. For those who like easy to use palettes with colors that are easy to combine these are perfect. Sometimes I get overwhelmed with larger palettes (although I do love them), having four coordinates shades makes life easier to create polished looks. I find both similar, Poesie gives me more of a smokey eye while Tisse Rivoli is more neutral but slightly more glitzy. I can’t choose between them.

Eight of the Les 4 Ombres Multi-Effect Quadra Eyeshadow are available now online at Nordstrom and Chanel.com. These should be arriving at your counters soon, I spotted these near me at Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus.

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Chanel Dentelle Précieuse Illuminating Face Powder – Nordstrom Anniversary Beauty Exclusive

July 14, 2014
This year’s Nordstrom Anniversary Beauty Exclusive for Chanel is the stunning Dentelle Précieuse Illuminating Face Powder ($80 for 6 g/0.21 oz, made in Italy, limited-edition). It comes with an exquisite embossed lace detail. The powder is a gorgeous mix of beige, rose, and champagne. On the skin it has the prettiest beige glow with a hints of pink, champagne and bronze mixed in. At a glance it seems like it’s just another pretty beige highlighter with an expensive price tag. While you can get a similar effect with other illuminating powders, I do believe the mix of shimmers in Dentelle Précieuse gives it a truly amazing effect on the face. It gives the perfect glow from within that isn’t too subtle and isn’t too frosty. The mix of pink and bronze in the powder give the face a bit of color so it’s not just your standard beige frost.
It comes with a black soft pouch that holds both the powder compact and a small angled brush:
On the nails, Chanel Tapage

The color is difficult to capture in swatches but I found the photos on Color Me Loud and Indigo Kir Royale both demonstrate it’s complexity with swatches using different pressures in application. It also shows how it gives more color to fair skintones, while it acts as a highlighter for medium to darker skin. Here are a few photos at different angles to show how the light reflects on the shimmer. On my medium/olive Chanel B30 skin this is clearly a highlighter.

Here are a few comparisons to other highlighters, I have two sets to show you. On screen the effect is very similar between highlighters so I’ll share my thoughts on the differences.

Set one with Chanel, Bobbi Brown, Edward Bess and Burberry illuminating powders:

  • Chanel Mouche de Beaute (discontinued) has a more gel-like texture with a transparent quality, it has a lot more glitz and sparkle giving it a paler look since the shimmers are more on the silvery side
  • Chanel Pearl Glow Powder (discontinued) has a more matte base, it’s also more powdery and has more yellow with gold shimmers
  • Bobbi Brown Beige Shimmer Brick ($42) is significantly more frosted, the pale champagne shimmers give it a paler finish
  • Edward Bess South of France ($45) is a quad with soft pinks and pearls, it has a softer finish with less shimmer, it’s also more pink in tone
  • Burberry Golden Radiance ($48) has a lot more frost to it, it’s also darker with more taupe/tan/gold tones
Set two includes some from MAC, Hourglass and Estee Lauder:
  • MAC Shimpagne Mineralize Skinfinish (discontinued) has a high frost finish with pink/champagne tones, below you can see it pulls more pink
  • MAC Soft & Gentle Mineralize Skinfinish (original) has a paler beige shimmer, it’s less complex compared to the Chanel Dentelle Precieuse
  • Hourglass Luminous Light is one of my favorite highlighters, it pulls more pink and a bit more shimmer on the skin, on me it’s more champagne vs beige
  • Hourglass Radiant Light is more golden compared to the Chanel, the hourglass also has a less complex finish and mix of shimmers
  • Estee Lauder Modern Mercury (discontinued) is significantly more pink with a metallic finish
I didn’t want to fall in love with an $80 powder but Chanel has created the perfect beige highlighter. On my olive skin many neutral highlighters tend to pull pink or almost white with the silvery shimmers they have. The Chanel Dentelle Precieuse has a stunning mix of bronze, peach, and rose that gives this more color giving a lively glow to the face. It’s still manages to be a true soft beige highlighter without going into the gold/tan zone. It’s pure love for me and I even bought one backup.

Various countries received the Chanel Dentelle Précieuse Illuminating Face Powder highlighter earlier in the year at certain retailers. In the US it is an exclusive to Nordstrom for this year’s Anniversary Sale (available now). On me it’s a stunning beige highlighting powder with a bit of color. If you search for other reviews you may find it looks almost bronzey on fairer skintones. It’s a splurge, but in my mind worth every penny. I love it and think it’s a definite must for Chanel lovers. It is limited-edition so if you’re interested I suggest acting sooner than later.

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On My Radar / New In Beauty

July 5, 2014

I hope everyone had a great 4th of July! A few items currently on my radar, from top left clockwise:

What’s on your radar this week? Have you seen any other new fall items in stores yet? I’m eagerly waiting to see Tom Ford and all the Chanel quads.

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Chanel Innocence #160 Powder Blush

July 3, 2014

Chanel Innocence #160 Powder Blush ($45 for 6g/0.21 oz) is new for fall this year. It’s a lovely delicate pink with a slight hint of shimmer. On the cheeks it’s a subtle slightly dusty rose pink. It shows up well with a few swipes of layering. The one released in the US is the regular soft finely milled powder US formula (not baked). I found it extremely similar to Rose Ecrin #68 both in the pan and on the face. The difference is slight. Rose Ecrin #68 is slightly dustier in color with more mauve. Innocence #160 is a bit brighter in color with more warmth. I tested them on the cheeks, one on each side of the face and you can definitely tell the difference once they are both on the skin while on the arms or fingers the difference is slight.

Some close ups and swatches, in the pan you can see shimmers, when swatched on the face it applies more matte with a soft satiny glow:

Swatch comparisons: to Chanel Rose Ecrin, Chanel Rose Initiale, MAC Cheeky Bugger, Edward Bess Filled with Desire, Diorblush My Lady Cannage Palette 002:

Thumbs up. Chanel Innocence is a lovely soft delicate pink that’s not too light. It’s a feminine pink that is lovely for every day wear and might just be my favorite item from the fall collection. Chanel Innocence is available at all Chanel counters now. Online at Nordstrom, Saks, Neiman Marcus and Chanel.com.
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Packing Travel

Travel Makeup | Summer Edition

July 1, 2014

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.

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.

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