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Winter Glow

January 16, 2015

This time of year my skin feels like it lacks natural luster so I rely on illuminators and soft nude shimmers to fake that glow-from-within. Today I’m sharing my favorite go-to’s along with thoughts on a few new items I’ve been testing to get that soft glow. Picks include items for nails, lips, cheeks and eyes. When it comes to shimmers I like to mix them in for one to two areas of the face with color rather than wear champagne shimmers all over the face, otherwise it’s just too much. I like using these as a cheekbone or very soft brow bone highlight too in order to add dimension.

First up are pale shimmers for the lips. I am always a huge fan of those soft pale shimmers for the lips but can’t always pull them off easily. I have medium pigmented lips with olive skin so often times pale shimmers make me feel like I have white lips. Two I’ve discovered that work for my lips include Rouge Dior Baume in Star and Lipstick Queen Ice Queen. Both have that lovely translucent quality with multidimensional shimmer to prevent these from looking too frosted.  

Both look similar in photographs on my lips but I think they are different enough to justify both. The Rouge Dior Baume in Star has a cooler-toned quality and is sheerer. Lipstick Queen Ice Queen looks lighter in the photos but it has a higher level of frost which reflects more. It has a mix of silver and gold particles which makes it a good layering lipstick. I have a slight preference for the Lipstick Queen because the shimmering quality is really pretty. If you are anti-shimmer for lips, you may find it too frosty.

For the nails, I’ve been obsessed with Rescue Beauty Lounge Bubblegum Punk for a fun multi-colored shimmer frost. It has an ultra smooth finish even though it’s on the sparkly side. I can never resist pale shimmers for nails, but some are hard to work with if they are frosts. Marc Jacobs Beauty has released two new Hi-Shine Enamored Nail Polishes. Blanche was released last fall. It’s a metallic soft white which I found took some extra effort to make work. Being a metallic I found brush strokes visible with two coats, but they disappeared a bit with the third coat. I have yet to find a good white shimmer that is streak-free. This one is pretty good if you are patient. Milk is a new addition to their Runway Shades. This is an iridescent beige that flashes pink and opal. I adore these kinds of colors but I know some women find the colors like this difficult to work with on their skin tone (something about the beige makes the skin look sallow). Milk flashes enough iridescent shimmer to prevent the beige base from dominating. I find it very wearable.

For highlighting, there are a number of multi-tasking products for eyes and cheeks. I love a good shimmer that gives a glow without looking frosty. I know everyone has different preferences for what degree of shimmer they are comfortable wearing so I’ll give a summary ranking of what I think is the most subtle to the most frosted.

First up are creamy ones. NARS St. Lucia Multiple is the latest from NARS (currently a Nordstrom exclusive, available at all NARS counters in March, review here). It’s a multi-purpose creamy twist up stick. On me it gives a natural glowy soft pink highlight to the cheeks and eyes. On fairer skins this will probably give you more color and look more blush-like.

My holy grail cream highlighter is Edward Bess All Over Seduction. He has two shades, Sunlight is the paler one (shown below) and Afterglow is a bronzey version. Both are incredibly natural and glowy. The texture blends in beautifully with the skin and the shimmer is finely milled. If you’re afraid of shimmer I highly recommend you check these out because it’s impossible to overdo and looks amazing on everyone I’ve seen it applied on.

One of the newest illuminators I’ve been testing is the Chantecaille Liquid Lumiere Anti-Aging Face Illuminator in Sheen (I received this as part of the Net-A-Porter holiday beauty box but it’s available separately). At first swipe I found the shimmer in this one to be on the high side but after playing with this I found it blended out to a soft smooth veil of shimmer. It does have more shimmer than Armani Fluid Sheers or the Edward Bess Sunlight but it is still very wearable. The pigment and shimmer is intense but it’s concentrated so you only need a tiny amount. A little goes a long way. If you’re one of those beauty lovers who is in search of a liquid highlighter that won’t disappear on the skin once you blend it this is a good one to look into. I’ve dabbed it on top of the cheekbones or eyes (after foundation/powder) and it doesn’t disrupt your makeup base. Check out the review on Best Things in Beauty to see how the colors look once blended properly. 

For additional highlighters, my go-to powder highlighter is from Hourglass. The Ambient Lighting Palette (review here) goes with me on all trips. I use the full size versions at home and take this palette with me for on-the-go or on vacations. The palette came out after the individual ones were released, so I have some duplicate colors. If you’re new to these powders, I hands down say go for the palette. There is a good amount of product so it will last you a long time and it’s super convenient to use and carry with you.

I used to use the Kevyn Aucoin Celetial Powder in Candlelight a long time ago when it had the larger compact packaging. I liked it but didn’t love it. Several have recommended I check it out again claiming it reached holy grail status for them. I like the new compact packaging and the powder is lovely but I don’t love it. I find it a bit too pale for my medium-olive skin. That being said if you thought the Hourglass Luminous Light was too shimmery or glowy I recommend the Kevyn Aucoin Candlelight because it is a notch down in the shimmer intensity. If you prefer neutral to cool-toned highlighters then you will really like Candlelight. I have friends who are on the fair side (Chanel Beige 10 or MAC NC20) and they swear by this one.
Last but not least, I think the NARS Dual Intensity Eyeshadows in Himalia and Dione are the best shimmers on the market. It has a really good blendable cream texture. The shimmer/frost is high on this so your mileage may vary. Full review here. If you don’t have a lot of the colors you may want to check out the NARSissist Dual Intensity Eyeshadow Palette. I already own 5 of the 8 shades so I’m having a hard time justifying a purchase since it will result in a lot of dupes for me.

What do you like to use to get a nice glow in the winter time?

The Lipstick Queen Ice Queen, Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette, Rescue Beauty Lounge Bubblegum Punk Nail Polish and Chantecaille Illuminator were provided as press samples for review consideration. All other items purchased by me.
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Color Focus: Pink Nudes for Nails

August 20, 2012

I have an obsession with neutral pink nudes for nails. I love the clean polished natural look of colors that have a mix of pink with nude/beige/mauve/rose. My current favorites range from semi-sheer to full coverage shades, most are creams but there are a few that have subtle shimmer. The shades I’m loving this season are listed below. All photos are my own.

Row 1: YSL Beige Leger 22, Chanel Jade Rose 493, Deborah Lippmann Naked, Dolce & Gabbana Rose Petal 102

Row 2: Dior Incognito 257, Deborah Lippmann Fashion, Dior Beige Lotus, Rescue Beauty Lounge Grunge

Row 3: Dolce and Gabbana Petal, Chanel Rose Cache 521, Deborah Lippmann Modern Love and Dior Sienna

On the nail wheel, with a few true beiges and pinks added to compare, two views:

I believe all these shades are still available for sale with the exception of Chanel Mistral which is no longer for sale (I think). Currently, Chanel Jade Rose is listed as limited-edition on Chanel.com. What neutral pinks are you loving?

Kindly note that all photos and content are my own and copyrighted. Please do not copy, reprint, edit, republish or hotlink images.
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Color Focus: Shimmery Brown Eyeshadows for Fall

September 12, 2011

Shimmery brown eyeshadows haven’t been the focus of fall this year but I still managed to find a few new ones and eagerly grabbed them up. I was recently at a Burberry counter where the artist suggested a few non-brown shades commenting that women often gravitate towards the safety zone of Rosewood, Golden Trench, and Midnight Brown and said he didn’t quite understand it. How many brown eyeshadows can one possibly need to own? I smiled and said “guilty” fessing up to owning way too many browns. Long story short, I still love shimmery brown neutrals. The new shades for fall that caught my eye (clockwise from the left) are Guerlain Les Cuirs 07, Laura Mercier Chocolate Lustre Eye Colour, MAC Take Root Cream Colour Base, Burberry Midnight Brown No. 21 and MAC Carbonized Veluxe Pearl.

Burberry Midnight Brown ($29 for 2.5 g/ 0.088 oz) is my favorite out of all the new browns (possibly my favorite brown of all time) being the coolest toned (or most neutral) with silver/taupe shimmer. It has full rich pigment with a buttery soft texture that is so easy to blend and layer. See it reviewed here, also compared on lighter skin at Cafe Makeup.

Laura Mercier Chocolate ($22 for 2.60 g/0.09 oz) has the most red/plum undertones out of the new shades for fall. I believe this was a repromote from a holiday palette from last year. This is one of the darker shades which has quite a bit of intense & complex shimmer making it unique. Pigment is excellent with a medium-soft texture making it fairly easy to layer. Applying over liners intensifies the color. I wouldn’t recommend applying wet since a damp brush will ruin the surface texture. A slightly damp brush might work (with an emphasis on very light) to apply wet.

MAC Carbonized ($15.00 for 1.3 g/0.04 oz) is the deepest shade with a neutral dark bark-like bark base and soft warm brown metallic shimmers. I find it on the neutral-warm side compared to the others but looking at it alone, it appears to be a full on neutral. It comes in the veluxe pearl formula. I find the texture a bit hard but there is no problem with the pigmentation.
MAC Take Root ($17.50 for 3.2 g/0.12 oz) is an intriguing warm tan fawn color that I think is perfect for contouring the cheeks or eyes. It sheers out to a subtle finish that I think is perfect to use as a base for layering other eyeshadows or blushes. I think on fair skintones this will be too brown almost borderline reddish/orange. For NC30s to NC35s and darker I highly recommend you give it a try at the counter. Even if this isn’t really your color, you might be surprised. See both reviewed & swatched on KarlaSugar and Temptalia.


Guerlain Les Cuirs 07 ($59 for 7.2 g/0.25 oz) is a gorgeous palette of warm neutral browns and beiges. The pigment is very soft on these shades with a slightly harder texture compared to the other quads I’ve tried. The shades do pick up well with a dense brush. For the colors to show up on my eyes without looking too dry, I needed a base that is more emollient and creamy. I haven’t worn this for a full day so I can’t assess the long-wearability of this. The colors are a rich warm chocolate brown (chalky in texture so this one needs layering), a soft beige cream, a soft warm beige tan with shimmer, and a soft neutral beige with shimmer. I find this palette very basic but lovely for a super natural softly contoured eye. It is on the warm side but easy to pull off on all skintones. See it on Karla Sugar, Rouge Deluxe and Best Things in Beauty.

Swatched with a few comparisons (two sets of each variation). Descriptions by comparison:

  • MAC Mulch is a warmer and lighter shimmery brown
  • Bobbi Brown Copper Cocoa is similar to Mulch but slightly more golden
  • NARS Fez is the most coppery and shimmery
  • NARS Galapagos is the most neutral brown like dark milk chocolate
  • NARS Mekong blackened brown with gold flecks
  • Chanel Le Bronze is the lightest bronze

Set 1 with MAC Mulch & Bobbi Brown Copper Cocoa

Set 2 with NARS Fez, Galapagos, Mekong & Chanel Le Bronze

Did you pick up any brown eyeshadows this season or are you maxed out on neutrals? What are your favorite shimmery browns?
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Loving Right Now: Shades of Grey

August 24, 2010

As we transition to fall, I find that grey is a good safety zone for fashion and beauty when coordinated with other neutrals and even warm shades. Grey accessories also are great because they’re versatile in that they are easy to incorporate into everyday wear. For the kitchen, I lean towards clean white porcelain for my serving pieces. I have one small Le Creuset in Dune (yes, boring I know) which I love, but just added a beautiful grey Staub oval cocette to my kitchen. The items I’m loving right now:

Makeup: Sultry Greys for Eyes, Shades of Silver and Taupe for Nails – Nars Tzarine, Bobbi Brown Rock, Chantecaille Meteorite, Chanel Gris, Bobbi Brown Steel Cream Eyeshadow, Dior Argentic, Chanel Trapeze & Particuliere


See Trapeze swatched here. See Particuliere + comparisons/dupes here.

Clothes: In my closet there are so many shades of grey. J.Crew and Banana have some beautiful silk tops right now that are great for layering and transitioning from day to evening. They have a good range of greys right now. I’m in love with the Aluminum Blouses from Jcrew – they’re almost a blue-grey.

Left:
Banana Republic Tee
J.Crew Lace Skirt
Havaianas in Grey
MJ Large Single Bag

Middle:
Banana Republic Silk Cascade Ruffle Shell
(online here, dark grey worn is instore only)
Paige Denim
Banana Strappy Sandals
LV Pouchette

Right:
J.Crew Pippy Top Aluminum (see here)
J.Crew Pencil Skirt Grey
Michael Kors Pumps

Shoes: As much as I love heels, I’m more of a flip-flop sandal kind of girl. I think my Havaianas are my most favorite most-worn shoes. Tory Burch also has good sandals. I have yet to find a good pair of grey colored heels – most that are within my budget are too light for my taste.


Accessories:
Gucci Sunglasses found at Off Fifth for a steal (Originally $245, marked down to $90)! Marc Jacobs Large Single in Grey Fall 2010, my newest splurge


Kitchen:
Staub just arrived at Williams Sonoma stores and I must say they are beautiful. I have been a huge fan of Le Creuset, but having a smaller kitchen have held off on expanding my cookware pieces. I bought my first Le Creuset 3 years ago in the 2 1/4 quart size, little did I know just how little would fit inside (definitely not a full pot roast). But I’m drawn to things in a “mini” size – they’re always so cute! When I saw the trio of mini Staub cocottes at Williams Sonoma I knew I had to have them. They are running a promotion of the trio as a gift with the purchase of the 4 1/2 quart oval so it was the perfect excuse for me to upgrade to a larger cast iron pot. Now I can make a full pot roast 🙂 I think the little cocottes will be perfect for a side of baked mac and cheese. I really would have loved to get the basil color – it seems like the most beautiful shade of green – but alas, that is online only. I love the grey though!


Do you have anything grey that you love?

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Color Focus: Soft Pinks I’m Loving Right Now

May 29, 2010
I decided to do a different twist on my regular monthly Ten Things I’m Loving Right Now and combine this with my color focus feature. I like soft pinks because they always look so pretty in the compact and tubes. But finding a good soft pink can be a bit tricky sometimes. I can’t tell you how many soft pinks have made me oooohh and aaaahhh only to find it looks way to light or washed out on my skin (ala MAC Hue/Angel Lipstick or Trish McEvoy Gorgeous Demure Lipstick). It still doesn’t stop me from trying to make them work though, lol. That being said, the products listed below are my no-fail and no-tweaking required soft pinks.

There are so many favorites, but these are the ones I’ve been using a lot in the past month. I am actually just starting my 3rd tube of MAC Fabby (see below)! Laura Mercier Babydoll Lip Glace is a favorite that looks good on practically all my friends whether they are fair skinned or tanned.

Blush & Highlighters:

Dior Rose Diamond
MAC Well Dressed
MAC Summer Rose Beauty Powder
(this was repromoted with the Liberty of London Collection in a different compact)

Eyeshadows:

Bobbi Brown Petal Shimmerwash
NARS Nepal Eyeshadow
Becca Angel Loose Shimmer Powder

Cheek and Eye Swatches:


Lip Glosses:

Chanel Waterlily Glossimer
Dior Pink Silk 262 Addict Lip Gloss (swatched here)
Laura Mercier Babydoll Lip Glace
Trish McEvoy Pretty Pink Beauty Booster Gloss

Lipsticks:

Chanel Rouge Coco in Rose Comete (swatched here)
MAC Frost Lipstick in Fabby
D&G Shine Lipstick in Soiree (swatched here)

Lip Swatches:


Nail Polishes:

Paul & Joe Poodle #10
Zoya Jessika
Chanel Mica Rose


I have many more favorites but if I featured all my loves, this would just be a never-ending article if I pulled every single soft pink from my stash. What are some of your favorites and what is your skintone?

FYI, in case you’re new to my blog, I’m a Chanel Shell 1.5 Teint Innocence right now. This is the equivalent to what’s right in between MAC NC30 and NC35. I’m at that point again where I’m in between shades for most foundation lines. You can see My Foundation Shades HERE. I recently tried Bobbi Brown’s newest foundation and found a perfect match in Natural Finish formula shade 4.25 Natural Tan, however the formula didn’t work so well with my skin. So far, Chanel Teint Innocence and Lift Lumieres and DPFs are my holy grails.

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Color Focus: Dove Grey Eyeshadows

March 30, 2010
I find it incredible how many different variations of grey there are. One particular color I don’t come across very often is dove-grey for eyeshadows, but perhaps this is because I don’t look for it very often. I personally define dove-grey as a blueish grey, but even the ones I pull out are probably subject to interpretation. I didn’t think I had many dove-grey shadows, but I managed to pull out a number of barely used dove-grey shadows from my stash. I need to use these more often. Even for something I would define as “dove-grey” there are quite a few variations. Some of them look more blue than grey. And I was surprised how neutral/warm Apres Ski looks on my skin compared to what I see in the container.

Armani Cream #2 (LE from Spring 2005), NARS Notorious (discontinued), Jouer Truffle, MAC Scene, Becca Chinchilla, Laura Mercier Stone Suede Satinee, Stila Shore, Laura Mercier Sable, Laura Mercier Twilight Grey, MAC Copperplate, MAC Apres Ski




Some of these you might even describe as taupe. I don’t use these a lot, but I think pairing these with a soft pearl shimmer would be pretty.

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Color Focus: Soft Peach & Peachy-Gold Eyeshadows

March 27, 2010
You can’t go wrong with a soft peachy-gold eyeshadow for an all-over easy & quick eye look. For girls with medium skintone, there are tons of your-lids-but-better options out there for a no-fail shimmery peach. My all time favorite is Chanel Abricot which I hear has now been discontinued. Luckily you can probably still find it at one of your local counters. Some of the peachy shades look pale on my skin even though they look peachy in the container.

Dior Beige Select, Chanel Abricot, Trish McEvoy Golden Apricot, Bobbi Brown Golden Peach, Laura Mercier Guava (old formula)

MAC Rubenesque & Shu Uemura Cream P Beige

MAC Hush, Motif, Jest, Arena (in pro-palette form)

Urban Decay Blaze, MAC Evening Aura, MAC Say Yeah

Paul & Joe #22, Paul & Joe #003, Armani Maestro #19

MAC Jardin Aires Pigment, MAC Melon Pigment, Laura Mercier Gemstone Mineral Eye Color, Laura Mercier Peach Luster Mineral Eye Color

All the shades grouped together (note, I apologize for the error below, but the color labeled Dazzleray is actually Jardin Aires):