Browsing Tag

Fall 2014

Base Makeup Tom Ford Beauty

Tom Ford Traceless Perfecting Foundation Bisque 4 Review

August 6, 2014

I’ve been playing with Tom Ford’s new Traceless Perfecting Foundation ($80 for 1 fl oz/30 ml) in Bisque 4. I’ve been testing about a week now and I’m in love. I shared my initial thoughts (and swatches of all 15 shades) last Friday. I’m happy with my selection of Bisque 4 as it matches my skin perfectly right now. After playing with it some more, here are my thoughts:

Color Choice: I was torn between Bisque 4 and Natural 5. Based on the counter recommendation after applying them both (one on each side of the face), I bought Bisque 4 and took home a small sample of Natural 5. I’ve been testing them both and really could get away with using either shade. Natural 5 is a bit darker and a tad more olive while Bisque is more neutral.

Formula, Coverage, Texture: The new Traceless Perfecting Foundation is a bit thicker in texture than most foundations I use and it gives perfect medium to full coverage. It blends very easily and covers well. Even though it’s thick, it doesn’t feel heavy on my skin and the finish and feel is very natural. I’ve tried all of Tom Ford’s foundations but have only purchased the Traceless Sticks. My thoughts comparing the three:
  • The regular Traceless Foundation (liquid in a square bottle with pump) is absolutely gorgeous on the skin but always looked a bit too dewy and glowy on my skin. It’s sheerer in coverage and has a sheen finish while the Traceless Perfecting Foundation is more velvety (but not matte).
  • The Traceless Stick Foundation is best used layered over other foundations for more coverage. It’s the perfect alternative to concealer for larger areas of the face that need more but isn’t quite as dry or pigmented as concealer so it blends easier on the skin.
  • The newest Traceless Perfecting Foundation is something I find really does have that perfecting effect. It doesn’t give me 100% perfect skin but it evens out skin tone and texture really nicely. It gives medium to full coverage without caking. It stays put and doesn’t sliding off. It also looks completely natural.
Application: The first few days I tested this we had a bit of a heat wave in Southern California. It was humid and we also had some rain. Those first few days I found the foundation felt a bit heavy although it stayed put the entire day from morning to evening. It didn’t slide off, get greasy or oily as the day wore on but it felt heavy. After playing with this a bit more I’ve found my perfect combination of product. You do need to use a lightweight moisturizer and good primer to prep the skin (it makes a world of difference). My go-to is to use:

Who can wear it? This is a thicker foundation compared to the thin fluid texture of Armani Maestro or even Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet. I would say it’s comparable in texture to Chanel Perfection Lumiere but a tad more airy and thicker in texture. I think it could suit a wide range of skin types but if you’re on the oily side it may not be the best option for you. For normal combination or dry skins I think this will be perfect.

Packaging: The foundation comes with an interesting twist up pump similar to the packaging of the Illuminating Primer. It dispenses product easily without any issues. I use 2 to 3 pumps to cover the entire face.

Packaging comparisons (review on primer here):

Here it is swatched on my arm:

Many of you have asked for comparisons to other foundations. I pulled out ones I use and a few lighter options I have leftovers of from winter/spring and I also had some samples in my drawers that I pulled out. I tan easily and my skin has gotten darker since spring. I’ll put a * next to the shades I currently use:

Set 1 includes:

Set 2 includes:

Overall thumbs up. It’s something I keep reaching for these days since I purchased it. For reference you can see all 15 shades swatched here. I hope this helps as a guide to help you select a color. If you need a shade match or recommendation, I highly recommend you call a Tom Ford counter. I’ve found the reps at Neiman Marcus Fashion Island, Beverly Hills and San Francisco to be extremely helpful.

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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 Tom Ford Beauty

Tom Ford Beauty Traceless Perfecting Foundation SPF15 Swatches

August 1, 2014

Tom Ford Beauty has released some exciting releases this fall. The first installment includes a new foundation called Traceless Perfecting Foundation ($80 for 1 fl oz, 15 shades) and a cover up Concealing Pen ($52 each, 6 shades). I met up earlier this week with the lovely Beauty Professor for lunch and some beauty shopping. We were thrilled to find both the Perfecting Foundation and Concealer Pens had arrived at the counters and immediately started playing with the new product (be sure to check her comprehensive swatches and descriptions here.)

Having both fallen in love with many things Tom Ford, our first question was, “are the shades of the new Traceless Perfecting the same as the Traceless and Traceless Stick?” I’ve been matched to both Bisque 4 and Natural 5 for the Traceless Stick and currently match Bisque 4 best. I’ve tried the original Traceless Foundation and while it gives a beautiful flawless coverage (especially with the Cream Foundation Brush which is amazing), and while it’s a lovely lightweight smooth finish foundation with beautiful coverage, I always found it slightly too dewy for my taste.

With the new Traceless Perfecting Foundation, I found myself torn between Bisque 4 and Natural 5. I tested both colors, one on each side of my face along the jawline. The artist and I felt I could go either way. I purchased Bisque 4 since Natural 5 pulled a bit more yellow and olive on my skin (but I got a sample of it just to test at home).

I’ve been testing both shades for a couple days. I’ll have a more detailed review with comparison swatches to other foundations I own but I have swatches of all the shades to share. These were taken with my iPhone and it was very bright yet a bit cloudy outside giving a slighty yellow/warm cast to the swatches. The best shot were the ones in the shade.

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Set One includes Cream 1, Ivory 2, Fawn 3, Bisque 4, Natural 5, Sable 6, Rosewood 6.5 and Tawny 7. All of these are yellow/olive with the exception of Rosewood 6.5 which is pink.

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Set Two includes Caramel 8, Sienna 9, Warm Almond 11, Chestnut 12, Buff 13, Linen 14 and Bare Beige 15. I added Bisque 4 as well since some of the higher numbers don’t correspond with darker shades like you might expect. Buff/Linen and Bare Beige have more pinkish tones compared to Ivory/Fawn and Bisque.

I’m overall really pleased with this new foundation. I had been contemplating the Traceless for quite some time due to the perfect coverage it gives but I’m glad I waited. The new Traceless Perfecting Foundation has a bit more coverage but still looks very natural. It has smooth coverage and evens out the skin tone and lasts quite well through warm humid weather, although Southern California is probably considered very mild compared to other areas.

More thoughts to come soon with a full detailed review, but after testing both Bisque and Natural, I’m happy I went with the Bisque (for Chanel I usually use the 30 foundations). Natural also is good match but leans just slightly olive and is a hair darker. Based on my sample that I’ve been testing I can say I really could have gone with either shade. The $80 price tag is very steep and I am relieved to report that I do love this foundation enough to justify the price.

For a quick comparison on textures of the different Tom Ford Foundations and the two shades I tested, here are the Bisque 4 and Natural 5 lined up with the Traceless Perfecting (new one), Traceless, and Traceless Stick. I think this shows the slightly dewy texture of the Traceless.

Note the liquids in Bisque 4 are lighter than the liquids in Natural 5. However, the stick in Bisque 4 is darker than the stick in Natural 5 (more swatches/review here).

The Traceless Perfecting Foundation comes with SPF15 and retails at $80 (this is the most I’ve ever spent on foundation, when I purchased the sticks they were priced at $78 and I think the prices just went up). The Traceless Perfecting Foundation comes in 15 shades, I’m glad to see a diverse range of colors and those with pink undertones will be happy to see some options that aren’t yellow-based.
You can find the Tom Ford Perfecting Foundation now at Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Bergdorf Goodman.
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Hourglass Cosmetics

Hourglass 1.5 mm Mechanical Gel Liner – Obsidian

July 25, 2014

New this fall from Hourglass is their 1.5 mm Mechanical Gel Liner in Obsidian ($45 for pack of 3 or $16 each). It’s their thinnest and softest waterproof eyeliner that comes in a twist up pencil. The product description:
  • The precision 1.5mm tip ensures effortless control, and allows for lining in between lashes
  • The unique formula, poured into a slim mechanical component, has the malleability, intensity and staying power of a traditional gel; no pot, no brush, no clean-up required
  • The waterproof, transfer-proof and long-lasting formula delivers extended wear
  • The supple, moisturizing formula glides on smoothly and dries quickly
  • Two clicks is all you need to line the eye, each advanced mechanical pencil lasts for approximately 17 to 20 uses
  • Only dispense product as needed – mechanical pencil does not retract
  • Free of phthalates, sulfates, talc and gluten, no animal testing
  • Ophthalmologist tested
I’ve been testing the new eyeliner this week in warm humid weather in Southern California and have been impressed with the lasting power. It holds up quite well throughout the day. I tested it on a few nights out and it didn’t bleed, smudge or fade. The tip is super tiny for precise application – the 2 click claim is true. You only need 2 clicks to dispense enough liner for each eye. I’m rarely able to apply eyeliner in a single stroke. The same applies with this one. I prefer to feather it along the lash line. I like that it doesn’t tug or pull. The formula is soft but not too soft. Some eyeliners can tug on the eye irritating my sensitive eyes. This one from Hourglass is gentle and I had no irritation.
The 1.5 mm Mechanical Gel Liner comes in one color right now, Obsidian, which is an intense black. It’s not quite as intense a color as you can get with some liquid liners, but for a pencil and gel formula, it’s still a true black. Many black eyeliners turn greyish on my skin or look ashy so I typically opt for colors like plum, brown or bronze. Hourglass Obsidian is a true rich black without looking harsh.
I’m still working on taking face photos, it’s harder than it looks. I’ve found it pretty difficult to get eye photos. Here’s a close up I took of my eye although the flash washes out everything:
A few comparisons here to some other black eyeliners. You can see how the Hourglass 1.5 mm tip is small compared to other eyeliners so it offers a truly precise line:

Thumbs up. I’m often skeptical of black eyeliners because I’m picky with the color and pigment. I can’t always pull of the color because it often looks harsh or ashy on my skin. The Hourglass 1.5 mm in Obsidian is good in color and the formula is very good. I find it well priced for a higher-end liner. I’ll have a round up post next week of my favorite black eyeliners.

The packaging is really well designed. It twists up easily and I love that there is no sharpening required to keep that super fine precise tip. It glides on easily, stays put and doesn’t smudge. It’s all I could want in an eyeliner. I hope Hourglass will expand the shade selection.

Hourglass 1.5 mm Mechanical Gel Liner in Obsidian launched on Hourglasscosmetics.com* this week. It will be available for purchase at Sephora* next week starting July 29 and available at Barneys New York, Bergdorf Goodman, Net-A-Porter.com, Space NK starting August 15.
Note that select retailers* will have this available as a single eyeliner for $16, all others will have it available in the trio at $45.
This post contains items that were sent courtesy of Hourglass for review consideration.
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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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Uncategorized

3.1 Phillip Lim for NARS | Crossroads, Other Side and Insidious Nail Polish

July 8, 2014

This month there will be nine nail polishes released for the 3.1 Phillip Lim for NARS Collection ($20 each for 0.5 fl oz/15 ml) – available July 15 on narscosmetics.com. I have three shades to share today in Crossroads (a deep purple cream), Other Side (chocolate cherry perfection) and Insidious (a metallic blackened bronze khaki). You can see all the shades on Vampy Varnish.

All the colors come with removable caps. The brushes are wide and slightly rounded at the tips but I found them to be on the larger side making it a bit hard for me to apply on my small fingers. It was still manageable but I had to do a lot of cleaning up with remover and Q-tips after application. I had to play around with various base and top coats. The new formula of the NARS nail polishes did not perform well with my usual Deborah Lippmann Rehydrating Base Coat (the polish didn’t glide over it) and Chanel Top Coat (it didn’t want to cover the polish smoothly). After testing with several of my go-to’s I found these worked best with Sephora Formula X Base and Top Coat.

The shimmer color applied well with just one coat. The creams I tested looked streaky with the first coat but evened out with the second for full smooth coverage.





Crossroads is a dark violet cream. It looks lovely on the hands but the texture of this one was a bit hard for me to work with. It bled easily making a mess of the cuticles. This one was really difficult to remove although it didn’t stain the nails. If you’re patient with this one, I think it’s worth the extra work it takes to apply.








Other Side is the perfect chocolate cream with a hint of red. It applied unevenly with the first coat but smoothed out with a second. It’s a dark almost vampy color but there is enough brown to prevent it from looking too dark.

Insidious is a metallic blackened khaki. It’s dark but not too dark. The shimmers make it glow in the sunlight. This shade will be exclusive to NARS boutiques and narscosmetics.com.


Comparisons to Tom Ford Bitter Bitch
Chanel Vamp
Chanel Diabolic (discontinued)
Dior Ultra Violet (discontinued)
Chanel Vendetta (discontinued)



I’m in love with NARS Other Side and Insidious as a close second. The colors are rich in pigment and with two coats you get full coverage. I did find application a bit hard because the brush is on the larger side. The formula has a medium liquid texture, not thin but not thick. I wore Cross Roads on the nails for 5 days before taking it off to test another color. By Day 5 I had a bit of tip wear on the index finger and thumbs but the rest were fine.
The nine shades will be available online at Narscosmetics.com July 15th and all other NARS locations starting August 1.
This review contains press samples sent by NARS for review consideration. For more information refer to my Disclosures.
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Uncategorized

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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