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Rouge Dior Brilliant Lipshine & Care Couture Colour

March 2, 2015

Dior released a new lip gloss formula called Rouge Dior Brilliant Lipshine and Care Couture Colour ($35 each for 6 ml/0.20 fl oz, made in France). These are currently exclusive to Neiman Marcus and Dior.com but will be released at all Dior counters later this spring (update, now also available at Nordstrom, Sephora, Bergdorf Goodman and all Dior retailers). I picked up several shades last month and have been playing with them for a few weeks. These are incredible glosses. They are luminous lip glosses with a skincare aspect Dior calls Rouge Dior Brilliant a “couture lip balm gloss with lip care oil.” The colors I saw all act like creams but each has a very subtle hint of shimmer to give the gloss dimension on the lips.

Coverage of these glosses is medium in terms of pigment. The brighter and darker colors do have more pigment than the neutrals but overall the color of each shade will show up on the lips. There is a subtle signature floral Dior scent on the glosses but it is significantly lighter than some of their previous formulas of lipstick and gloss so those with sensitive noses should be able to tolerate the fragrance.
The formula itself is quite soothing and moisturizing on the lips. They wear well alone or with a liner. The texture is not thick so you can easily layer it over lipstick without feeling like there is too much product on the lips. The colors I’ve been playing with all apply with a smooth streak-free finish and add a medium tint of color. Lasting power is medium – it stays put without sliding off for a few hours but it will transfer off the lips if you snack or drink tea/coffee frequently.

The Dior Brilliant Lipshines come with a sponge tip applicator that have a unique design. The shape is tapered to give you precise application around the edges of the lip and there is a small reservoir designed to give you the perfect dose of gloss for your lip. The applicator is different from anything I’ve seen and works beautifully.

The colors I picked up:

Swan is a medium rose pink
Paname is a neutral nude beige
Miss is a bright but soft pink
Bonheur is a sheer light pink (the sheerest of the ones I tried)
Victoire is a peach

Swatches below on the lips:

A few comparison swatches:

NARS Lip Gloss in Turkish Delight (swatched here)
Tom Ford Lipgloss in Peach Absolut
Dior Addict Fluid Stick in Frisson (swatched here)
Dior Addict Fluid Stick in Tiny Pink (swatches here)
Tom Ford Lipgloss in Pink Sugar
NARS Lip Gloss in Angelika (review here)
NARS Lip Gloss in Corsica (discontinued, reviewed here)
NARS Lip Gloss in Belize

In terms of formula comparison, these are similar in concept to the Chanel Rouge Allure Glosses released last October (review of my picks here). The color schemes of the Chanel and Dior are very different, Chanel being more edgy and classic and sharp while Dior has more nude options and the colors are softer. Texture wise the Chanel has a thicker formula that lasts longer, however Dior has one that is more moisturizing. In terms of lasting power the Chanel lasts longer on me compared to the Dior, mainly because the Chanel is thicker.

My counter didn’t have all the shades available as testers, in fact three of the five shades I bought were bought based on what they looked like in the tube so I went with the safe ones. There are others that are deeper and brighter that look phenomenal (in particular Times Square and Soho) but I wanted to be able to swatch on the hand first. I will probably go back for one deeper/darker shade. In the meantime I have five lovely neutrals that aren’t nudes that work perfectly for everyday. If you’re in search of a medium coverage gloss, I recommend these with a huge thumbs up. Either these Rouge Dior Brilliant Lipshines or the Chanel Rouge Allure Glosses are phenomenal in terms of formula. They come with a high price tag but in my testing experience with all kinds of glosses these are among the top in terms of performance, lasting power and being fuss-free. They are glosses that just work.

Have you checked out the new Dior Lip Glosses? There are three new nail polishes that go with this collection as well in Pink, Rose and Corail – working on swatches this week 🙂

The Rouge Dior Brilliant Lipshines retail at $35 each. Both currently available at Neiman Marcus and Dior.com. Now also available at Nordstrom, Sephora, Bergdorf Goodman.

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Monthly Favorites

February Favorites

February 28, 2015

I haven’t done a monthly favorites roundup in a while since I find my favorites rotate quite frequently. I like to mix things up and change things around. This month I narrowed down a favorites list to some items I’ve been enjoying thoroughly. As always I’d love to hear from you about your favorites for the past month. (The items below include links to previous reviews where applicable.)
This month feels like it’s been all about new lip releases. I’m still working on reviews for the new Rouge Dior Brilliant Lipshine but will say right now these new Dior  glosses are phenomenal. I’ve been loving them a lot – they have the perfect mix of color and shine. I have all the swatches and review finished but still need to pull colors for comparison swatches.

Other lip staples this month include Charlotte Tilbury Confession, Marc Jacobs Beauty Infamous and Tom Ford Lips & Boys in Peter. I’ve also been reaching for the Chanel Hydrabeauty Lip Balm. Initially I thought this was just an average lip treatment. The more I use it the more I like this as a lightweight lip balm that doesn’t feel heavy on the lips and adds a nice veil of moisture.

For the skin I’ve been going through a lot of masks. My favorite is the Aesop Parsley Seed Mask. It’s the best clarifying face mask I’ve tried that is good for sensitive skin. It will draw out impurities and is gentle enough to use multiple times a week. I like it because it smells like a spa and it doesn’t irritate the skin. My favorite new cleanser discovery is the Glamglow Supercleanse Daily Clearing Cleanser. It’s a bit too strong for daily use but I do use it multiple times per week.

For eyeshadow palettes, the Marc Jacobs Style Eye-Con in The Dreamer has a beautiful mix of warm neutrals. There are golds, corals, champagnes and tan shimmers with a really good matte brown. This one is what I wanted Lolita to be. Let me know if you want a full review of this one.

My current foundation routine includes a mix of Charlotte Tilbury Wonderglow + NARS All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation. This combo gives the perfect glow with medium to full coverage.

For fragrance, I’ve become smitten with the Byredo Bibliothèque, Cotton Poplin and Fleur Fantôme set from Net-A-Porter. These are so cute although pricey, it’s a nice way to try the candles at a cheaper price than buying the full size. My favorite is still Fleur Fantôme (which I have the full size of). Full review to come soon.

Last but not least, I’ve still been loving the Lumira Paradisium perfume. It’s the perfect mix of florals with a hint of fig.

What have your favorites been this month?
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Uncategorized

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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On My Radar

On My Radar / New in Beauty

February 13, 2015
Happy Friday everyone! I’m relieved it’s almost the weekend. We have 80+ degree weather in Southern California right now, it’s like winter never came and we are in a non-stop state of summer (I’m not complaining, although I do feel like I should have a tan right now). A few things I’ve spotted new in the beauty world:

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  1. Christian Louboutin Beaute has a new Python Vulcano Limited Edition Nail Colour Coffret ($90, limited-edition) for spring. The three shades include Salonu, True Blue, and Hot Chick. I want to see this one in person as it looks stunning although I only own 1 yellow nail polish (Chanel Mimosa) and rarely wear it.
  2. Glamglow released their new cleansers ($39 each for 5 oz) in Supercleanse (Daily Clearing Cleanser), Thirstycleanse (Daily Treatment Cleanser) and Youthcleanse (Daily Exfoliating Cleanser). I have the white and blue ones that I bought a few weeks ago and am completely obsessed with both. Detailed review next week.
  3. Bobbi Brown has a new Sunkissed Nude Collection Set ($120, limited-edition) at Neiman Marcus. If you’ve been eyeing things at Neimans, save your shopping for next week when their Beauty Week Event starts on the 18th.
  4. Chanel has released some new items this month. The Collection La Perle de Chanel has a new Harmonie Levres Lip Palette, Joues Contraste in Crescendo, Illusion D’Ombre in Mysterio, Stylo Yeux Waterproof in Perle de Lune along with more items for lips and eyes. If you’re shopping for Valentine’s Day, the have complimentary overnight shipping with orders $125+ (until 5 PM EST). I ordered several items + a few of the new Rouge Cocos. I’ll be swatching and photographing this weekend.
  5. Charlotte Tilbury Beach Sticks ($45 each, 5 shades) have finally launched in the US. I have a few that I ordered, I’ll be swatting and have a review in the next week (fingers crossed).
  6. Giorgio Armani has two Limited-Edition Runway pieces, a Runway Palette ($120 for highlighter + 3 shadows) cased in an embroidered silk pouch and a new Rouge Sheer Runway Lipstick ($40). The palette looks incredibly beautiful but I’m not sure about the price point.
  7. Dior Beauty has 12 shades of Rouge Dior Brilliant Lipshine & Care Couture Colour ($35 each). There are several nudes I have on my wish list although I have yet to see or swatch these in person.
  8. Chantecaille has a small edited collection for spring. There is a new Glacier Eyeshadow Trio ($70), Arctic Rose Lip Chic ($36), and two Galactic Lip Shines ($34 each) in Aurora and Polaris. (I bought the palette and one lip chic, review next week.)
I hope you have a wonderful weekend! My husband and I are celebrating Valentine’s Day early with a date night dinner tonight. What’s on your beauty radar this weekend?

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Dior Kingdom of Colors Addict Gloss – Fastes #154 and Mylord #624

January 29, 2015
Dior has two new Addict Glosses ($29.50 for 6.5 ml/.21 fl oz, limited-edition) for the Spring 2015 Kingdom of Colors Collection in Fastes #154 and Mylord #624. Both are soft and delicate feminine colors that are semi-sheer with a high shine finish. Fastes #154 is an ultra-sparkly warm light pink with multi-colored sparkles. Mylord #624 is a mauve nude with gold sparkles mixed in.

I’m a huge fan of the some of the Dior Addict Glosses because of the smooth texture, high shine and sometimes complex shimmer. I really like that the shimmery ones have a smooth texture and aren’t gritty, but sometimes the sparkles have a bit too much sparkle for my taste. In terms of formula these have medium lasting power, the colors are mixed in the whole line – some are sheer while others have more pigment. I find most of them medium at best (if you want more color opt for the Dior Addict Fluid Sticks). I like that these have no detectable scent or fragrance which is a huge plus for those with sensitive noses.

Fastes #154 is on the super sparkly side. The pale color isn’t too pale to wash out my medium olive-toned complexion but since I have pigmented lips, the sparkle is more prominent on me compared to those with lighter lip tones. I normally love a really good shimmery gloss but this one is a bit too glitzy for my taste alone. I like this one layered over a cream lipstick to add a bit of shine and dimension. This being said, it does photograph well and a flash doesn’t make the lips look white. In real life it’s just too light and sparkly for my comfort but do note my lips are weird with the way they look with lighter pale colors. For me, I prefer my NARS Sweet Dreams or Dior Nuit Boreale (currently missing in action) because they have a bit more color for my super pigmented lips.

Mylord #624 is all kinds of gorgeous. It’s a lovely understated nude mauve that isn’t too cool. It has some gold flecks mixed in it. When this one faded, there were remnants of gold sparkle left on my lips but it wasn’t gritty. I wish this color came in lipstick form because it’s the perfect mix of nude, pink and mauve all in one. I would love this in a more pigmented version.

Here are some comparisons swatted side by side for reference:

NARS Istria (review here)
NARS Belize (lip swatches here)
MAC Lovechild (lip swatches here)

I love Mylord for the color – it’s the prettiest mauvey nude color. Fastes is a stunning shimmer but just too light and too sparkly for my taste but this is mainly because of my skin and lip tone.

Both shades are limited-edition. Available now at Nordstrom, Saks, Bloomingdales and Dior.com.
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Dior Vernis Kingdom of Colors – Lady and Glory Comparisons

January 26, 2015

I hope everyone had a great weekend! I was planning to upload swatch comparisons on the Dior Kingdom of Colors Spring 2015 Nail Polishes on Friday but took a few days off from blogging for a much-needed weekend break. As promised here are some comparisons for Dior Spring 2015 Vernis Gel Shine Nail Lacquers in Lady #294 and Glory #660. Both nail wheels have the same colors, just two different views for lighting:

Louboutin Madame Est Nue + Tres Decollete (swatched)
Dior Tra-La-La (review)
Dior Incognito (swatches)
Dior Lili (review)
Chanel Rose Cache (swatched)
Tom Ford Sugar Dune (discontinued, review here)
YSL Beige Leger (swatched)
Dior Star
Dior Wonderland (reviewed here)
Dior Lucky (older formula swatches, review)
Dior Pasteque (discontinued)
Chanel Tutti Frutti (review here)
Chanel Pink Tonic (reviewed here)

To me Dior Glory looks identical to my old Dior Lucky and very similar to other pinkish reds. I still love it but definitely think you can find similar colors. Dior Lady on the other hand is powder pink perfection. It’s not too dark, not too light, has full coverage and has just the right amount of cool/pink tones to make it look soft and feminine but not too pastel. I love how elegant and understated it is without being too neutral or nude.

In case you missed it, full review of Dior Lady and Glory (and the spring top coat) with swatches on the fingers here. You should be able to find the Dior Spring Collection at most counters now. I bought both of my polishes from Nordstrom. Also available online at at Neiman Marcus, Saks, Sephora, Bloomingdales and Dior.com.
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Dior Kingdom of Colors Spring 2015 – Blossoming Top Coat and Gel-Shine Nail Lacquer in Lady & Glory

January 23, 2015

Dior’s Spring 2015 collection is called the Kingdom of Colors. There are three new nail polishes with the collection including two new Gel-Shine Long Wear Nail Lacquers ($27 each) in Lady 294 and Glory 660 and a Blossoming Top Coat ($28). Every time I swatch a Dior nail polish I am always impressed by the formula. They’ve done a phenomenal job at creating an exquisite flawless finish and sometimes I don’t know why I use anything else. The two spring colors are stunning with full opaque and smooth coverage. The Top Coat has a clear base with tiny chunks of glitter particles in different shapes and sizes. It’s a really fun item to wear layered over other colors, but it’s just not me. More thoughts on this below.

First up is Lady #294. When I saw this online I suspected it might be very similar to Tra-La-La or Incognito, but it’s really quite different. When I swatched this color on the nails my first thought was “where has this color been all my life?!” It’s a stunning full coverage baby pink that has a hint of mauve and cool-tones in it. Pictures don’t do it justice – on the nails it’s a powder pink but not too powdery or pale and it’s super flattering for a clean polished look. This is definitely going on my backup list.

Glory #660 is a vibrant pink red with a tinge of coral. This has more of a slight jelly finish but still gives complete and full coverage on the nails with two coats. I have lots of other colors similar to this one, but I still think it’s perfect. That being said if you have a lot of warm pink/corals you may want to shop your stash and skip this one.

The Eclosion Top Coat is a party in a bottle. It’s a soft mix of pastel greens, yellow and white glitter particles in different shapes and sizes. The base is clear and the density of the glitters is on the medium side. As with many glitters that are suspended in a clear base, application can require some extra work to get it on the nail evenly. I swatched it below on top of both of the spring shades with two coats. It looks like I’m wearing a sprinkles cupcake on my fingers which is fun, but too much for my conservative makeup wearing/loving self.

I’ll have swatch comparisons loaded later this weekend (I’ll update this post). I’m still trying to find out where a couple of the shades I want to compare are. In the meantime I recommend you check out Color Me Loud’s post and comparison swatches.

Both Lady and Glory are stunning polishes for spring and year round. I would say if you have a lot of brighter summery shades, you may find Glory dupe-able or too similar to what you own. As for Lady, it think it’s absolutely perfect. After testing the top coat for a few days and wearing it around, I tried to see if it would grow on me. It’s so fun and pretty in the bottle I keep trying to love it and see how I can pull it off. I can’t help but feel it’s too trendy for me.

I bought my Dior Polishes at Nordstrom. Also available at Neiman Marcus, Saks, Sephora, Bloomingdales and all Dior counters.
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