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Cle de Peau Beaute

Cle de Peau Beaute Highlighters

Cle de Peau Beaute Luminizing Face Enhancers in #13 Sand Beige and #14 Delicate Pink

August 17, 2014

 

One of the things I love about blogging is connecting with readers who are even more passionate about beauty, cosmetics and fragrances than I am. I’ve learned so much from others who have taken time out of their day to write me about their latest discoveries and loves. Clé de Peau Beauté is one brand that gets frequently mentioned in my inbox. I’ve avoided most of the items from the brand due to the high price points but after so many raves, I couldn’t help but finally check out the Luminizing Face Enhancers ($95 each for the compact+case, or $55 for just the refills). The Luminizing Face Enhancers are powder highlighters that come in a refillable prism-like covered gold mirrored case. There are currently four shades available in a pale white, silvery pink, gold and peachy-bronze.

 

I picked out #13 Sand Beige and #14 Delicate Pink at Neiman Marcus. The Luminizing Face Enhancers are finely milled super soft pressed powders each containing multiple shades of shimmer pressed together in a jewel-like pattern. It’s difficult to tell exactly how many different shades there are per compact, but there are at least four different colors pressed together. These come with a  sheer veil of glitter overspray (which I’m not fond of) but once you dust it off you get a luminous powder underneath. Once applied on the skin the shimmer is visible but it provides a natural glow. I’ve applied on the cheeks, temples and eyes. These blend in with the skin extremely well. Some powder products can look like they just sit on the skin, but the Clé de Peau Beauté highlighter melds quite well giving a natural look.
For me these are too shimmery to apply all over the face, but they are not frosty. I like them as traditional highlighters. I would say the shimmer factor is light-medium, somewhere in between the shimmer of Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders in Dim Light and Luminous Light, but with larger shimmer particles infused throughout.

 

 

#13 Sand Beige is my favorite. It’s the darkest option which might look more like a bronzer on fairer skins (anything lighter than a Chanel B20). On my medium olive skin the Clé de Peau Beauté #13 is the perfect natural golden honey highlight. It’s similar in color to Chanel Dentelle Precieuse not quite as shimmery as the Chanel (swatch comparisons below). The brush that comes in the compact is quite good, I’ve used it for touch ups, it’s soft and dense and picks up product well. I do wish it was bigger, but for a compact brush, it’s the best I’ve tried.

 

 

 

 

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#14 Delicate Pink is a cool-toned silvery pink on me. It’s on the pale side which contrasts with my olive skin. I’ve seen it on fairer skin tones and it makes the entire face glow. For me it’s something I use with a very light hand on the temples, on the nose, under brow bone (applied very softly) and it gives dimension to the face. It’s difficult to capture the luminous shimmer in photographs but this one gives the skin a perfect glow.

 

 

 

 

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Swatches below. The flash and light emphasized the shimmer particles, in real life they are more subtle on the face, I swatched these with a heavy hand to show the color and shimmer. When applied normally, the shimmer isn’t quite as pronounced as shown in the detail shot.

 

 

Comparisons to a few other highlighters:

 

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette with Radiant Light, Incandescent Light and Dim Light (review)
Chanel Dentelle Precieuse (reviewed here)

 

 

Second view with larger swatches up close:

 

 

Many have reported these Clé de Peau Beauté Luminizing Face Enhancers to be the best powder highlighters on the market. For me, there are so many different types of highlighters, I think finding the “best one” will depend on what you are looking for. Some highlighters offer intense shimmer or color like Mineralize Skinfinishes from MAC or Shimmer Bricks by Bobbi Brown. Others like Chanel Poudre Douce (discontinued shades like Rosee or Peche Tendre) or Dolce & Gabbana are highlighting powders that are designed to be use over the entire face. Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders have a wide range of shimmer finishes and textures created for different skin tones to either warm up and bronze the skin, give a candlelit glow-from-within look, or create a diffused glow. There are also different skin types that look better with certain highlighters. There are highlighters that some will find enhance their pores, but on others that same product won’t. Depending on your skin tone, if you’re fair, certain shades will flatter you more than if you are darker.

 

So for me, when someone asks me “what is the best powder highlighter?” My answer would be “it depends.” I’ve been partial to Chanel, Edward Bess and Hourglass for highlighting powders. I’ve also always been a huge fan of MAC Mineralize Skinfinishes (even the frosty ones) for different looks.

 

To sum up my thoughts on the Clé de Peau Beauté Luminizing Face Enhancers, I do think they are amazing highlighters. If you’re looking for a natural luminous glow that makes the skin radiate, adds dimension to the face, isn’t frosty and doesn’t emphasize pores, these fit the bill. They do come with a steep price tag which is why I’m reluctant to give a 100% glowing review. The quality of the product and packaging is there and I don’t see any other product on the market that can provide that same glow. The texture is finely milled and it glides onto the skin blending in perfectly. The $55 price tag for the refills is reasonable for me, but the $95 price for the powder + compact is just too much for me no matter how good the product is.

 

That being said, I’m very happy with both and I know I will be using both regularly. These are highlighters you have to try in person to really see how good the glow is. Have you tried Clé de Peau Beauté Luminizing Face Enhancers? What did you think?

 

I bought mine from Neiman Marcus. They are also available at Cle de Peau, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Barneys New York, and Bergdorf Goodman.
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Uncategorized

Sneak Peek, Reviews Soon: NARS, Clé de Peau Beauté, Elizabeth and James, One Truffle, YSL, Chanel and more …

August 12, 2014

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:

Stay tuned!
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Eye Makeup

Clé de Peau Beauté Eye Color Quad Satin Moon 305

August 6, 2014

Clé de Peau Beauté has released eight new Eye Color Quads ($55 for the refill, $25 for the case). The eight shades released for fall include Marmalade Sky 301, Stardust 302, Baby Universe 303, Champagne Supernova 304, Satin Moon 305, Silver Eclipse 306, Stellar Gaze 307, Cosmic Aura 308.

For reference Beauty Professor has all the quads swatched and reviewed. Best Things in Beauty also has a number of quads reviewed.

I’ve played with a few single shadows many years ago but never looked into the quads or palettes due to the hefty price tag. Several readers keep raving about Clé de Peau Beauté via e-mails so I’ve finally decided to look more into the line. I picked out one quad to try out and purchased Satin Moon 305 (along with the case) which has a soft tan gold, a bronze with a hint of plum, a mauve taupe and a smokey brown grey. All the colors have a super soft texture that are really easy to blend. The shimmer in each shade is extremely beautiful with multi-colored shimmers pressed together. On the eyes the shades layer very well together but are on the subtle side for me. In terms of comparisons for pigment, I would say it’s similar to Burberry singles and Chanel Quads (the square pans), less pigmented than Urban Decay and Le Metier de Beaute.

Satin Moon is quite stunning. On me it’s more on the subtle side but can be layered for more intensity. I shot the compact from the side and front to get a better view of the compact. I like that it’s sleek and sturdy. It was really easy to insert the refill into the case without damaging the eye shadows.

Here’s a subtle smokey eye. The flash keeps washing out all the makeup worn, but I hope this gives an idea of how you can wear this with subtle blending (layering light to dark).

I think you can find similar colors in other brands, quads, palettes and singles but the texture and shimmer is really quite extraordinary. It’s really impossible to capture how complex the shimmers are in swatches but I had one that was a bit blurry that ended up showing the different pearl particles well. On the eyes it’s not glittery even though there are tiny sparkle particles.

Close ups:

I couldn’t find any dupes but here are some comparisons:

Urban Decay Half Baked from Naked2

After testing my first Clé de Peau Beauté quad I am really happy with it. I tend to like colors with more pigment and impact (and then I blend it down a bit for more of a natural gradient) but this one is quite lovely. The quality is excellent and for those who don’t do shimmer on the eyes do note this quad is one of the most subtle with the shimmer factor that I’ve tried. I give this one a huge thumbs up, my I’m still a Chanel, NARS and Urban Decay girl at heart when it comes to eye shadows.
I like that you can refill these but I’m not sure I how feel about having to spend $80 on one complete compact.

The Clé de Peau Beauté Fall Eye Color quads have arrived at counters. You can find them (also the compact sold separately) online at Nordstrom, Saks, Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman.

Are you a Clé de Peau Beauté fan? What are your favorite items?
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Base Makeup

Clé de Peau Beauté Concealer in Almond / Amande

August 5, 2014

Clé de Peau Beauté has two new additions to their shade lineup for the Concealer ($70 for 5 g/.17 oz, made in Japan) in Almond (Amande) and Mocha (Moka). The Clé de Peau Beauté Concealer in Beige has been a long-time staple for me (original review here). It’s the only concealer I use, it blends out perfectly and covers imperfections like no other, evens out dark areas under the eyes and doesn’t cake on my skin. Beige can pull bit too light for me when I have a tan but it still works. The next shade up in Ochre has tempted me for a long time but I’ve found it pulls a bit ashy on my skin because it has so much olive. I was thrilled that Almond has been released because it is the perfect match for me. It’s almost as dark as Ochre but is warmer with a slight honey tone.

For those new to Clé de Peau Beauté concealers, they come in a navy twist up tube. It’s quite small but a little bit goes a long way. My Beige concealer lasted a little over two years before I had to replace it with a new tube after using it up. The tube is very sturdy.

On the nails, Chanel Secret

Here is Almond vs Beige:

Swatched side by side:

Here is the full concealer line up of current shades from Clé de Peau Beauté, taken during a shopping trip with the Beauty Professor. These were taken with an iPhone and it was really warm and cloudy outside making everything look yellowish.
Ivory, Beige, Almond, Ochre, Mocha and Honey

Indoor counter lighting:

Outdoor lighting:

For better comparisons I pulled a few foundations I’ve been matched to and swatched them side by side. I’m usually a Chanel 30 Beige, but depending on how light or tan I am I have been matched to both 20 and 40 Beige (I tan really easily). Left to right:

The Clé de Peau Beauté Concealer is one of my holy grail concealers and even though it has a super steep price tag I do think it’s worth every penny because it works. I’ve tried a number of other brands at makeovers and from gift with purchase mini samples and for me nothing compares to the Clé de Peau. Finding a good concealer that doesn’t cake or slide has always been a challenge for me. Even those that have a good color match end up disappearing after I blend it out. (I’ve tried MAC, Chanel, Laura Mercier, Bobbi Brown and old NARS ones.) For this one I prefer to either apply straight from the tube and pat blend or apply from the tube to my fingers to warm it up and then dab it on the face.

You can find the new shades of Clé de Peau Beauté concealer now at counters. Clé de Peau Beauté is available at Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Saks and Bergdorf Goodman.

Do you have a holy grail concealer?
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Uncategorized

On My Radar / New in Beauty

July 29, 2014

Some new items on my radar this week, top left clockwise:

As fall collections and new skin/haircare items start trickling in, I’d love to hear what’s on your beauty radar!
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Uncategorized

My Current Skincare Routine

October 26, 2012

Many have asked me to share my skincare routine. I had plans to write about it earlier in the summer, however just when I was ready to publish the post, my skin decided to act up (about 3 months ago) and certain problem areas would not clear up. I thought it could be attributed to stress or weather changes. I tried a number of different things: I drank more water, changed my eating habits, washed my brushes and pillow cases more frequently etc. After several months of no improvements, I decided it was time for a skincare change. My prior routine consisted of: Clé de Peau Beauté’s Gentle Cleansing Foam or Clinique’s Rinse Off Foaming Cleanser, La Mer’s The Tonic, Clé de Peau Beauté Eye Cream, Le Métier de Beauté Peau Vierge Day Cream, and Koh Gen Do’s Cleansing Water (plus the occasional mask treatment). I suppose my skin became so used to holy-grails that the items became less effective (if that makes sense).

Thanks to the help of my trusted sales associates from various brands, I was given some recommendations and mini sample packets to try. In just a short time, my skin has cleared up and is almost back to it’s normal blemish-free state. I also changed my foundation routine. My holy grail loves started to seem a bit heavy (but still amazing).
My current skincare routine is split up into two categories, The Basics and The Extras. I’m not a skincare expert and unfortunately can’t elaborate on the benefits of each product, nor do I have the ingredients listing on the items. This is a list of what works for me. I’m hoping others who have tried the same can chime in the comments below. Also check out Makeupalley Product Reviews – this is an excellent resource.

The Basics:

  • Morning Cleanser – Clé de Peau Beauté Gentle Cleansing Foam ($63) is one of my holy grail cleansers, it’s a gentle foaming cleanser, a little goes a long way leaving the skin feeling clean but not dry. I’ve repurchased this numerous times.
  • Night Cleanser – Dior Purifying Foaming Cleanser ($33) was recommended to me by my local Dior artist. The Cle de Peau became less effective for me, so she recommended that I try this one from Dior. I found it to be amazing in terms of really purifying and cleansing the skin. Given the weather changes, I found it to be a bit too stripping for both morning and night, I like to use this one in the afternoon/night because it removes the makeup better.
  • Toner – Giorgio Armani ‘Regenessence 3.R’ Pre-Regenerative & Retexturizing Lotion ($48) is a gentle toner that works to refresh the skin and noticeably improved my skin texture. I have not purchased this item yet, I received a generously sized sample in one of the Neimans Armani Gift With Purchase sets (they have generously sized skincare samples). So far it’s lasted me 3 weeks and counting. I intend on purchasing once it’s used up.
  • Moisturizer/Serum – Giorgio Armani ‘Luminessence’ Bright Regenerator Concentrate ($150) is a brightening concentrated serum. I actually really liked some of the creams by Armani but my Armani artist felt that they would be too heavy for my skin and age (31). He personally said he loved the Luminessence Concentrate and used it under makeup alone (no other moisturizer or creams, other than eye cream). He made a small sample for me which I’ve been testing. So far I love it. I’m waiting for a gift with purchase event before I buy since it’s pricey.
  • Eye Cream – Clé de Peau Beauté Intensive Eye Contour Cream ($250) was gifted to me by Cle de Peau and Neiman Marcus a year ago. I had my doubts about it’s effectiveness, but it’s everything it says it is. I’ve tried a number of eye creams (Clinique, NARS, Shiseido, Chanel, Lancome, Dior) but am still at the stage in my life where eye cream isn’t a necessity yet. I don’t have under-eye wrinkles or creasing (yet). All women told me to start using eye cream in my early 20’s so I did occasionally. I never saw any changes, nor did I feel anything different. The Cle de Peau is the first that I’ve actually seen and felt results. It fully hydrates the eye area and gives a smoothing finish with the moisture. It doesn’t dry out and it isn’t too greasy. It’s the perfect prep for a bit of concealer under the eye because it primes the skin for a more natural look (sometimes concealer can look a bit cakey under the eyes, the CdP helps prevent that). My husband uses this too.
  • Essential Cotton – Shiseido Facial Cotton ($9.50 for 165 squares) is by far the best facial cotton out there. I’ve tried many other brands and nothing compares for me. The Shiseido is perfectly sized, very soft and gentle and sold at a decent price. They are more expensive than drugstore cotton but well worth every penny.



The Extras:

  • Cleansing Water – Koh Gen Do Cleansing Spa Water ($39) reviewed here is my go-to for removing makeup from the face in the afternoon (before cleansing), it’s also perfect for cleaning up eyeshadow-fallout around the eyes.
  • Mask – Koh Gen Do Brightening Moisture Mask ($75) is pricey but lasts a long time. I did a brief feature here before. To recap, this is a great purifying yet moisturizing mask. The Macro Vintage Face Masks are equally amazing, but the Brightening one helps purify while the Macro Vintage moisturizes and hydrates more.
  • Eye Makeup Remover – Chanel Gentle Bi-Phase Eye Makeup Remover ($32) is one of the few eyemakeup removers that really removes all traces of mascara without burning my eyes, Neutrogena’s is also awesome but has a slightly more emollient feel.

I hope this helps give you ideas on what works for me. Everyone’s skin is different so I can’t say these will work for everyone. My skin is normal but sensitive. I try to keep skincare items I use minimal. Most of the testing has to be done over long period to see if it really works. I also usually test only one new thing at a time while keeping the rest of the routine the same to test the effectiveness of that one product (even though sometimes it’s a combination of products that may make something work better). Also due to the pricey nature of skincare, I try to spread out my purchases. Most of the items are long-lasting with a little product going a long way.
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Base Makeup

Clé de Peau Beauté Concealer in Beige

September 6, 2011

You’ve all read the hype and raves about Clé de Peau’s Concealer virtually everywhere. If you haven’t tried it yet, believe the hype. It’s the holy grail of concealers. The quality, consistency and finish cannot be beat. It has full pigmented coverage but blends out naturally to even out dark circles under the eyes (which I did not know I had before trying this concealer), tone down red areas on the face and brighten the overall appearance of your skin.

I was gifted Beige courtesy of Neiman Marcus and Clé de Peau about a month ago and have been carefully testing it out with a highly critical eye. Upon opening it I was a bit concerned it might be too light for my skin, but after testing it out I’ve found that it’s actually perfect. I am around a MAC NC30-35, Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua in B30, Guerlain Lingerie de Peau on 03, Dolce & Gabbana Powder Foundation in Warm. Upon first swipe it’s clearly lighter than my skin. Blending it out with the fingers makes the product disappear and blend naturally with my skin to even out any areas that need extra help.

A bit of concealer history for me: I’ve neglected concealer in almost a year now. I’ve postponed repurchasing my usual Chanel or Laura Mercier loves thinking any shade I purchased would soon become too light (I’ve been trying to build my summer tan). Still, even though I’ve tested a hefty number of concealers, I have never been fully convinced it was really a necessity (like foundation or powder or good makeup brushes). Most concealers fail to pass the test of having good coverage, having long lasting power, being non-creasing, being non-drying and a having a good color match. There are many that look great upon immediate application but do not work well with the skin as the day progresses. The Clé de Peau Beauté meets all requirements of what a concealer should do. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a bad review yet before trying this I was skeptical due to the hefty price tag of $70 a tube. After testing this out for a few weeks I can say this is the best concealer I’ve tried. Whether or not it’s worth a full $70 is another question, but when this is used up I will definitely be repurchasing it.

Application tips: I’ve tested this concealer for several weeks using several methods and found application is key. A huge thanks to Karla Sugar’s in-depth review and also tips from one of my readers Laura R., I’ve found the best method is really to apply over a moisturized face (or if you just use on the eyes, make sure your skin is well moisturized) with the fingers.

I’m going to quote Laura on some of these tips combined with my own thoughts:

  • Prepare face and apply moisturizer, primer, foundation first
  • Next prep the eyes with eye cream by pressing into face, not hard, but not tapping either
  • Apply concealer with your index finger and press lightly and blend 
  • If other areas need concealer to tone down redness or even out the skin, apply with your finger in a press-then-blend method (using the fingers help to warm up the product)
  • Top with a soft dusting of loose or pressed powder (but with a brush)

Things to avoid based on my trials:

  • I don’t recommend applying this over any type of powder, the result will be cakey
  • Skipping moisturizer also results in a cakey looking finish
  • Swiping directly from tube to skin can result with too much product on the face and use up the concealer too fast, if you do this, do with a light hand to avoid too much product to the face which can also result in a cakey look (even after blending)
Clé de Peau’s application tips that come with each concealer:

Plus the ingredients (click to enlarge):

Since first trying this out, I haven’t skipped using it for a day. If I were slightly darker I think Beige would be too light but I haven’t looked at the other shades in the lineup in person but you can see Karla’s swatches here and I found the user comments in the bottom of her post useful. At first glance it would seem better if CdP had a bigger color selection for their concealers – I’m not sure how hard it is to find a color match, I’m glad I found mine, but this is something I highly recommend having an expert try on you in person. They will know which one works best for your skin and show you how to apply as well.
For inquiring minds, other Clé de Peau loves of mine include: La Creme (although I’ve survived off mini samples), Extra Silky Lipsticks and a few of the Lip Glosses.
Have you tried Clé de Peau’s concealer? What shade do you use and what other foundation shades are you?
Many thanks to Neiman Marcus and Clé de Peau for providing this concealer for review.
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