Jo Malone Tea Fragrances – layering these together creates the most lovely uplifting scents. I find them simple, pure and refreshing! (each scent reviewed here)
Chanel Ombres Perleés de Chanel, perfect for a lovely glow and easy to apply with fingers (reviewed and swatched here)
NARS Kalahari Duo & Fez Single Eyeshadow – I’ve been using my depotted Kalahari and it was about time for a replacement so I bought a new one. It’s one of my holy-grail neutrals. Fez is a beautiful bronzey copper (swatched here).
Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof in Ébène is a pure black and stays put all day and Urban Decay’s 24/7 Shadow Pencil Blending Brush is the perfect brush for blending smokey colors (not so great for blending lighter shades all over the lid, but for darker shades and detail areas or smudging it’s great)
Giorgio Armani Blush #2 – the original Armani products were the best in my opinion. Classic nude soft neutrals never go out of style. #2 is a soft luminous peachy pink.
Bobbi Brown Aruba Illuminating Bronzing Powder is a golden shimmer bronze (see it here too)
Chanel Joyeuse from the Le Blanc Asia Exclusive Collection is a beautiful bright pink (see it reviewed here as well)
More bright lips: Paul & Joe Lip Lacquer 02 Can-Can (here too), Dior Model Addict Lipstick (also here) and Chanel’s Rouge Coco Shine in Adventure (I used up the entire sample from the little card I received and went out to buy the full sized version)
For Chanel Liberte v Misia: Liberte is more milky and less shimmery but more pigmented while Misia is brighter more vibrant and has a sheerer shimmery texture with more red.
For those wondering whether I prefer Chanel’s Miami Peach or Orange Fizz: right now the vote goes to Miami Peach. Do note that Miami Peach is less pigmented with a slight jelly-like finish. The gold shimmer is very fine and not very noticeable. Orange Fizz is clearly more orange and has that amazing rich smooth opaque coverage Chanel is well known for these days, it may be harder to pull off on all skintones.
Dior Beige Casual 222 is one of those classic signature nudes that keeps getting re-released in a newer updated version with each new lipstick launch. 222 has always been a beigey nude with a slight shimmer. The very first Addict Lipstick I had from Dior was 222 Beige Casual and had tiny gold microglitters. The newest version has no glitter or frost and is very natural looking. I don’t know exactly how many variations there are – I know there have been at least three. I no longer have the blue casing with gold tube, but I do have the prior release in the Addict High Shine formula (which is more beige). The newer version is more peachy but on the skin they are very similar.
Close up of the new version:
Comparisons and swatches: Chanel Cashmere Rouge Coco (also here), Dior Beige Casual 222 Addict High Shine (d/c), Dior Beige Casual 222 (new version), MAC Bare Slimshine, Burberry Cameo (also here)
Dior Addict Lipstick in Model 564 is another Sephora exclusive. It’s described as a “sheer warm pink” infused with subtle pink shimmers. Sometimes it looks pink, sometimes it looks coral. It appears bright but the sheer texture gives a softer finish on the lips compared to what you see in the tube. The pigment is decent for a sheer lipstick. After testing it a few times, I found the best application is with one swipe on the upper and lower lip. Swiping more than three times applied too much product leaving lips a bit too moist feeling. These definitely have a lip-balm like texture and feel (but not quite as emollient). Lasting power is on the light side (as expected from a sheer glossy lipstick). I do find the brighter colors stain the lips slightly so as the lipstick wears off some remnants of color stay behind.
Compared to MAC Melt In Your Mouth, Chanel Gardenia, Dolce & Gabbana Love and MAC Made With Love
Lip swatched on me, I think this is a color that will look very different on others depending on skintone and natural lip color. It looks brighter and more vibrant in real life – I think the lighting and flash sheered out the color a bit:
Dior Addict in Urban 178 is a Sephora exclusive. It’s a pale frosted pink with a sheer glossy finish. The texture is very moisturizing. About 6 hours after it has faded, my lips feel soft and smooth (bonus!). Being a lighter shade, I found the pigment to be on the sheer side. Compared to the Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Boy, it has a similar natural finish but harder texture which I think helps the color show better. The new Dior Addicts apply better than the recently discontinued Addict High Shines which I found a bit tacky in texture. The new formula is smoother with a high shine finish. Being a lip-balm like lipstick, lasting power isn’t the best. I’ll have to test the brighter shades to see how they wear. So far thumbs up for an easy fool-proof type of lipstick if you don’t mind re-applying. As an added bonus for those sensitive to fragranced products – no detectable taste or scent with these lipsticks.
When trying Dior Urban 178 out at Sephora on my hand, I thought it would have been too pale for my skintone. I would have gone with a slightly brighter neutral pink like Basic 253. This particular shade was sent to me by Dior and surprisingly, it’s not too pale that it washes me out. The sheerness helps make this color more wearable. I suspect wearing a lipliner blended out on the lip first will help the color last longer. If I were just the slightest bit darker than I am right now (about a Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua in 20 which equals a MAC NC30) I think this color would have been too pale by itself.
Compared to a few other pale pink shimmers: Dior Addict Urban, Chanel Rouge Coco Rose Comete, MAC Lipglass Oyster Girl, MAC Lustre Lipstick in Politely Pink
Dior has released their new Addict Lipsticks ($28 each) in a wide array of shades in the US. The new lipstick formula is designed to provide high shine and high color while hydrating and plumping the lips. The entire Dior Addict lineup consists of over 40 shades (exact number is something I have not yet been able to determine). It can be a bit of a hunt to find all the available shades as some are exclusive to certain stores. Sephora has their own set of exclusive colors and so far 983 Insoumise is the known exclusive to Nordstrom. In addition, there are colors that are available online at Dior.com and Nordstrom that are are not available at Sephora. {Update: refer to the comments below, a sweet reader did the research to find out which shades are available at various retail locations! Thank you Shannen!}
Top are new tubes, blue tube is an older version of Addict, the next tube without the stripe is the first version of Addict High Shine
Long time Dior fans know that the Addict Lipstick has gone through several revamps over the years. The earliest revamp I can remember is when they changed their gold tubes into a sleek dark blue tube and gold cap to mimic the shape of their Addict Eau de Parfum. The next revamp changed all the gold to silver. Next was the release of Addict High Shines. This brings us to present time with the Addict formula of 2011: same shape of tube, but slightly taller and with a silver banded stripe near the top.
My thoughts & experience: I am one who has a slight feeling of panic when I hear the word “revamp” because I hate to think of something I love being discontinued. Dior has gone through a number of revamps to introduce new product innovations with more advanced formulas to deliver more pigmented colors with better wear while also improving the skin. At times I find it a bit overwhelming to sort through. I haven’t kept up on the new Addict Ultra Gloss or new revamped Rouge Dior lately – but after seeing these on Café Makeup, the beautiful Dior couture on British Beauty Blogger, The Blonde Salad’s Dior experience in Paris, and after browsing the adorable Dior Addict mini- site with the beautiful video featuring Kate Moss on Dior.com – I couldn’t help but run to Sephora to try these (since they had the first exclusive release in the US).
Once I arrived at the Dior unit, my mouth dropped at the sheer number of options I had to choose from. It was overwhelmingly fun but I quickly found myself a bit lost with all the colors swiped on my hand and couldn’t recall which was which. I had to swatch and re-swatch several times before deciding on a few shades.
Before going to the store, I highly recommend you browse through the Dior.com Addict interactive section which allows you to see each shade close up and pops up a mini description. Make a mini list of the numbers and colors that catch your eye and take it to your Dior counter for notes. There are a number of colors that fall close to each other (many of the beiges are similar, same with the hot pinks). The upside of the wide selection is that you’re bound to find at least one shade that fits your taste.
The testers were brand new so I felt comfortable trying them on the lips. The texture is like a lip balm without the slick. They are smooth but are hard enough to deliver natural sheer to medium pigment with shine. I came home with Rose Déshabillé 260 (sheer shimmering pink), Model 564 (sheer warm coral pink), Beige Casual 222 (neutral beige – Dior’s classic beige that seems to be reincarnated with each new release), Tokyo 422 (sheer peachy pink). Urban 178 (a pale frosty pink) was included in a package sent to me from Dior (along with post cards and stickers).
More detailed descriptions, swatches and close ups to come soon. Just as a quick FYI the new 222 Beige Casual is more peachy than past 222’s.
I’m a neutral lover at heart but brights are nice to wear in sheer washes mixed in with neutrals. For coordinating brights I don’t there are any rules you need to stick to. Just experiment with different combinations of colors to see what you’re most comfortable with. I mainly pick out colors depending on the occasion or what clothes I’m wearing for the day (one example here with a yellow top, bright coral cheek, coppery bronze eye and nude gold lip). I usually go for something that is as natural as possible and here are a few things I go by:
Brighten the face by applying bronzer first then layer a soft wash of bright pink or coral or peach on top
Mixing pinks and peach blushes together can add depth and dimension
Can you match your lip color to your blush? Sure! For example using different variations of pink can create a pretty coordinated look
You don’t have to match lips and cheeks, having a bright coral cheek with a sheer bright or soft pink lip can work well too
If something is too bright, you can sheer it out with a soft blending brush or by adding a paler shimmer color on top
A few ideas – use these for color ideas rather than the specific name of the brand or product.
* Tip – At a national artist event for NARS, the artist blended Goldfinger with Nepal together and it created the most beautiful soft rose gold shadow. When using bronzer and a bright blush, I usually apply bronzer first, but most artists at events apply bronzer as the final touch.
* Tip – For the eyes, layering colors can be done by applying the lightest shade first, then the cream, and finally the bronzey powder on top. For MAC Fleur Power Blush, I find it so universally flattering it will go with either a bright lip and a pale lip, or the bright and pale mixed together for a softer peachy glow.
* Tip – Mix pinks and peaches by layering them on top of each other on the cheeks. Depending on your mood or preference, you can adjust the color by applying one color more heavily than the other.
* Tip – Coral blushes can be coordinated with either bright pinks or bright peaches for lips since many have both pink and peach mixed in.
You may notice there are no nail polishes featured in any of these looks. I think bright nails can be mixed and matched in almost any combination to work with a variety of looks. I hope you found this mini series helpful. Summer collections are about to trickle in soon – so I’m sure there will plenty of inspiration for all of you in the upcoming months!
If you have any tips or want to share how you wear brighter colors, feel free in the comments! Makeup events with a good artist can be incredibly useful for tips, tricks and ideas on how to incorporate new things with well-used loves 🙂
