Browsing Tag

Holiday 2014

Charlotte Tilbury

Charlotte Tilbury The Supermodel Collection / Holiday 2014

December 30, 2014

Charlotte Tilbury’s holiday collection consists of a mix of new and previously released products for The Supermodel Look. She has a couple pre-made sets where you can purchase all the items in one kit for the entire look but you can also buy the items individually. I decided to purchase most of the items separately and have swatches and thoughts to share with you today.

Charlotte Tilbury’s collection is my favorite out of all the holiday releases. The colors and combination is quite stunning with the mix of a bronze-smokey eye and nude pink lips. Here are the items I ordered:

  • Fallen Angel Luxury Palette ($65, limited-edition) is a really pretty eyeshadow quad with a soft champagne, cool silvery mauve taupe, warm shimmery bronze and a satiny black. I previously compared this to Chanel’s Rêve D’Orient. I have a slight preference for the Chanel, but the Charlotte Tilbury is just as stunning and more cool-toned. I’ve been wearing this a lot and I like how easy it is to use. The four colors combined are pure genius and I like that you can wear this everyday but dress it up for evening. The texture is soft with a slightly creamy texture. The colors adhere well to the lids, blend nicely, layer really well and last long. I give it a huge thumbs up. I think it is different enough from the Chanel to justify both.
  • Sex on Fire Cheek to Chic Swish and Pop Blush ($40, permanent) is a luminous blush with a mix of beige and rose and tan. It has a lighter beige-pink on the outer rim with a darker tan-rose in the middle. I’ve accumulated several of Charlotte Tilbury’s blushes and have been really impressed. The texture is super soft with really good pigment. It glides on the skin nicely and layers well if you want more color. The way you are supposed to apply these is to take a brush and swish the outside lighter color and apply to the cheeks. Then take the inner darker color and pop some more color for added depth and pigment. I can’t always get my brush to just get the outside or inside color, so I like to swirl my brush in the entire compact before applying.
  • Confession K.I.S.S.I.N.G Lipstick ($32, limited-edition) is the perfect color to get Kylie Jenner lips. It’s a good medium-toned nude pink with color. There is a slight hint of shimmer which prevents it from looking flat, but on my lips it’s primarily a cream. The coverage is full and the texture is very creamy. It is medium-to-thick which makes it adhere really well to the lips and I found it lasted quite long without any lipliner. I hope she considers making this permanent. 
  • Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds Lip Lustre ($22, limited-edition) is a light neutral pink beige with silvery champagne shimmer. I really love this lip gloss. The color is the prettiest light pearly beige. It works well alone for me, although I think most people will prefer this one layered over a lipstick. It has a sheer to medium coverage that adds the prettiest shimmery nude sheen to the lips.
  • Pillowtalk Lip Cheat Lip Pencil ($22, permanent) is a rosy neutral lipliner that matches Confession lipstick. I’m not a lipliner wearer much these days but so many have raved about it I had to check it out. It’s a good long-lasting creamy shade that you can use to line and fill the lips for added volume.

More photos and swatches:

A few quick comparison swatches to some other Charlotte Tilbury nude lipsticks (a more detailed feature on all these shades to follow soon):

If you’re looking for one brand that will give you a complete look for the holiday or new year (or year round) the items in Charlotte Tilbury’s The Supermodel Look is a good one to check out. I researched reviews on a number of blogs before purchasing the items sight unseen and the shades look great on all different skin tones.
I like every single item in the collection and I think they are worth every penny. I could have skipped the lipliner since I rarely wear liners these days, but Pillowtalk is a good nude pink.

Do note the best items in the look are limited-edition. I would recommend ordering soon if you’re interested. The Confession Lipstick and Fallen Angel Quad have sold out numerous times on multiple sites but the good news is that many have restocked over the past week. You can find Charlotte Tilbury Beauty online at Nordstrom, Net-A-Porter, Bergdorf Goodman, Beautylish, Selfridges and Charlotte Tilbury.

Did you buy any of the holiday items from Charlotte Tilbury?
What was your favorite holiday collection this year?
20 Comments
Lips Tom Ford Beauty

Tom Ford Lips & Boys – Beauty Look Book Picks

December 24, 2014

Tom Ford launched 50 shades of clutch-sized lipstick last month with the Lips and Boys collection as an online exclusive for a very short period of time. Ordering the colors I wanted was a bit tricky for me since many of the colors sold out on different sites almost instantly. They are making a comeback though, while supplies last, online now at Nordstrom, Saks and Bloomingdales. They are expected to launch again on December 26th at select Tom Ford counters and boutiques, also online at Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman. I have my neutral picks to share with you along with swatches and thoughts.

The Tom Ford Lips & Boys are clutch-sized lipsticks priced at $32 each for 0.07 oz/2 g. They are in between the sizes of the full sized Lip Colors and baby gift with purchase Lip Colors. For size reference here are all three options lined up side by side.

Full Size is .1 oz / 3 g priced at $50 each
Lips & Boys are 0.07 oz / 2 g priced at $32 each
Baby Gift with Purchase is 0.03 oz / 1 g 

After playing with the shades for several weeks I can say that my overall impressions are positive. I think the lip colors are the strong point of Tom Ford’s beauty line and have been impressed with pigment, coverage and feel ever since the first launch back in 2011. The Lips & Boys have two different finishes. There are shimmery shades and then there are cream shades. Some of the creams have a tiny bit of shimmer in the tube but on the lips they apply more like a true cream. Pigments range from sheer to medium to full depending on color. Closeups and arm swatches below:

Photographing 15 lipsticks on one arm was a bit tricky because of my arm curve and also because many of the colors have this natural glossy sheen. I have several shots to try and capture the colors and show you the difference between the nudes:

Close ups and lip swatches with descriptions of each shade:

  • Addison is a creamy full coverage medium neutral pink, the coverage is perfection, Addison is reported to be a repromote of Pink Dusk – I find Addison about a 1/2 shade darker than Pink Dusk
  • Alexander is a full coverage bright pink with cool tones, on my lips it pulls very blue, this one emphasizes dry patches and lip lines
  • Beau is a full coverage creamy nude, it’s almost flesh-tone on me, it’s reported to be a dupe of Blush Nude, in the tubes Beau is slightly more pinkish, Blush Nude is a tiny bit lighter and more beige
  • Cary is a full coverage deep mauve pink, it pulls brighter on my lips
  • Flynn is a baby pink with medium coverage

  • Henry is full coverage shimmering brown, on my lip/complexion it pulls very orange
  • Ian is a sheer shimmery light pink nude
  • Orlando is a sheer frosted mauve nude tan
  • Patrick is a bright medium coverage coral pink, texture was patchy on this one
  • Peter is a shimmering medium coverage neutral pink with pale champagne shimmers

  • Rory is sheer shimmering pale gold, it goes on patchy if your lips aren’t well prepped
  • William is a medium coverage shimmering warm nude peachy pink, this is reported to be a repromote of Pink Dune, I don’t find them similar, Pink Dune is more beige and glossy, William is a lot warmer almost peachy gold by comparison
  • Julian is a full coverage medium cool pink
  • Luca is a medium to full coverage coral with contrasted pale champagne frost mixed in
  • Olivier is a medium coverage cool pale pink

Swatching 15 lipsticks was extremely harsh on my lips with all the wiping and re-applying so some of the swatch photos may look a bit dry. I found that the shimmery shades have a high level of pale frost in them which ended up emphasizing lip lines with a camera flash or super dry lips. I think prepping the lips and making sure they are hydrated is key – but I do think extra moisture is needed right now with the dry winter weather. The creams performed the best for me with the exception of Patrick which I found applied patchy and uneven (it took extra work). Still with the creams you need a well hydrated or smooth lip because the pigment is rich and creamy with full coverage.

My favorite shades include William, Peter, Addison, Ian, Orlando and Luca. I personally don’t like Alexander, Julian & Olivier because cool-toned pinks just don’t work well with my skin although they are very pretty pinks. I had application issues with Rory and Patrick (at least straight from the tube). Henry for some reason turns very orange on me.

Overall my thoughts are thumbs up on most of the colors. The clutch size is just so adorable – I can never resist a mini. The price point is still a bit steep but I have an easier time justifying $32 vs $50 on a lipstick (even if the size is small).

If you’re not able to see these in person before purchasing, I highly recommend researching swatches and reviews online. I won’t have time to do comparison swatches but there are many resources that have helpful reviews you can find on other blogs. The Tom Ford Beauty discussion thread on Specktra.net is extremely helpful, many have chimed in on their thoughts, added swatches, photos and have additional shopping tips.

If any of these interest you at all I recommend you order sooner than later because I think it’s a good assumption that these will sell out very quickly. You can find the Tom Ford Lips & Boys online now at Nordstrom, Saks and Bloomingdales. Available for pre-order at Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman. Expected to launch at Tom Ford counters, boutiques and online this week on December 26th.

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday. I will be taking a few days off from the blog to enjoy time with loved ones. Merry Christmas from me to you! 

36 Comments
Uncategorized

Net-A-Porter Holiday Beauty Kit Back in Stock

December 17, 2014

I just received news that Net-A-Porter restocked their Holiday Beauty Kit, a $360 value priced at $100. You can see my previous post and full list of contents featured here. It sold out the same day I wrote about it back in early November and I suspect it will sell out again very quickly. I know some of my readers were sad they missed out the first round. If you’re looking for a last-minute holiday gift that is sure to impress, this kit is a great option!

More Net-A-Porter Beauty below:

The beauty kit was provided as a press sample for review consideration. 
4 Comments
Uncategorized

Formula X Paint the Town

December 16, 2014

Formula X has quite a few cute holiday sets out this year. One of the most impressive value nail sets is the Paint the Town Can (on sale in stores for $39) which has 22 mini nail polishes (4 ml/ 0.13 fl oz each). The set has a mix of creams, shimmers and glitter polishes. It just sold out online yesterday after it was marked down from $55 to $39, but I spotted stock at my local Sephora store today. If you’re making your shopping rounds and doing some last minute holiday shopping this is a really fun gift for nail polish addicts. It has enough colors to keep you busy for months and the colors are suitable for teens and grown ups (even the glitters are fun for the holiday season).

The polishes come in a fun plastic paint can:

They’re all stored in a plastic sleeve that rolls up into the can:

All 22 shades ranging from nudes to pinks to reds to purples and glitters:

I swatched these on some nail wheels to get a post up quickly for those still looking to shop for gifts in store. The colors are pretty much true to what you see in the bottle. The Formula X nail polishes have really good pigment and coverage. All the shades are available for purchase individually with the exception of the sparkles and glitters which seem to be exclusive to this set.

A+ is a pink raspberry cream
Gemini is a bubblegum pink
Pyrotechnic is a classic bright red
Ignite is a deeper red cream

Fathom is a creamy medium blue
Wunderkind is a sheer but build able deep metallic blue
Dark Matter is a dark grey
Dramatic is a lavender purple cream
Umph is a shimmery purple-grey
Pedal to the Metal is a metallic violet

White Matter is a pure white cream
Need for Speed is a metallic silver chrome
Illusionary is a cloud-white-grey shimmer
Perfection is a mauve taupe cream
Monumental is a creamy nude
Astronomical is a creamy beige

Shock Wave is a fuchsia pink glitter
Absolute Zero is a mix of silver, beige and black sparkles
Moon Sign is a mix of teal blue, baby blue and silver sparkles
Stratosphere is a blue and purple glitter mix
Luminosity is a gold and copper sparkle glitter
Starlight is a slightly chunky gold glitter

On the thumb is Monumental with Starlight on top

Spotted in store today at Sephora (there were about half a dozen cans scattered around the store, smaller Paint Party Press Pods is also on sale and still available online, also available is the Press Pods Gift Tags Set):

Overall a really fun set to play with. It’s a great introductory set to the Formula X line at a value price. I tested a few of the glitters and found them pretty easy to remove with nail polish remover which is a huge plus for me (most glitters take forever to remove). If you’re heading to a Sephora store in the next few days I highly recommend looking into this as another gift option.

Have you finished your holiday shopping? What has been your favorite set so far this season?

The Paint the Town set was provided as a press sample for review consideration.

8 Comments
Uncategorized

Holiday Gift Guide: Splurge Picks

December 15, 2014

It’s crunch time for holiday shopping, many retailers have cut-off shipping dates for delivery by Christmas today or in the next few days. I have one last gift guide to share with you. Today’s gift guide is on the luxurious splurge options.

1 / NARS The Vault ($500) comes with 10 full-size Audacious Lipsticks and 10 Nail Polishes
5 / Aesop Precious as Porcelain – Parsley Seed Skin Care Set ($175)
6 / Simple Human Sensor Mirror ($200) reviewed here
7 / Le Metier de Beaute Gemini Kiss Split Lip Kaleidoscope ($125)
14 / Williams Sonoma Home Faux Fur Throw ($199, on sale for $159)
16 / Charlotte Tilbury The Supermodel Genius Tutorial Video Box ($290)
19 / Christian Louboutin Book ($150 retail price, discounted at Amazon)
In case you missed them, a few more holiday gift guides:
Hope you have a wonderful start to your week!
7 Comments
By Terry

By Terry Baume de Rose Set (Limited-Edition)

December 15, 2014

By Terry has released a limited-edition Baume de Rose Collection Set ($89 for 5 mini tinted rose balms, each 2.3 g/0.08 oz, made in France). This is a luxurious beauty set cased in a small pink box and ribbon. There are five mini lip balms in a tube format. One is of the items is the classic Baume de Rose which is clear with a slightly milky pink tint. The others include some Baume De Rose Nutri-Couleurs in wand format including Rosy Babe 1, Cherry Bomb 3, Fig Fiction 5 and Toffee Cream 6. Even though I already own the full size versions of three of the five items, I was intrigued by the compact packaging and wand format of the rose balms and ordered a set from Net-A-Porter.

The balms in this Baume de Rose Set come with angled and beveled sponge tip applicators. The little balms are miniature in size making them perfect to store in a small clutch or purse. These are tinted balms so it’s only natural to expect them to be on the sheer side. There is still quite a bit of pigment in them so they do show up on my lips. The texture is medium to thick. They feel like a balm on the lips and go on smoothly, but they don’t slide off like some lip balms do. The slightly thick texture helps them stay on the lips – however since these are balms, these won’t stay put on your lips all day long.

The colors in the Baume de Rose Set this year:

  • Baume de Rose is a sheer milky pink that goes on clear
  • Rosy Babe 1 is a baby pink cream
  • Cherry Bomb 3 is a luscious pink red
  • Fig Fiction 5 is a sheer purple plum
  • Toffee Cream 6 is a warm nude pink tan

With any flash or sunlight, the balms reflect their naturally glossy sheen. Once applied, they give the lips the most luscious natural sheen and they feel quite amazing on the lips. 

Without flash:

I’ve reviewed the full sizes of the Baume de Rose, Mandarina Pulp, Boom Berry/Fig Fiction/Toffee Cream before on the blog. The colors in the Holiday Baume de Rose Set are identical in undertone to the full size in pots, however I found the colors in this set to be a bit sheerer in pigment and slightly thinner in texture. I suspect a part of the sheerness is due to the applicator. The sponge picks up less color compared to a lip brush that I dip into the pots. I’ll show swatches of the set vs individual pots below.

First, some packaging comparisons. The full size Baume de Rose Gloss ($53 for 7 ml/0.23 fl oz) versus the minis ($89 for the set divided by 5 equals $17.80 per balm for 2.3 g/ 0.08 oz):

The full size Baume de Rose Nutri-Couleur ($56 for 7 g/0.24 oz) pots versus the minis ($89 for the set divided by 5 equals $17.80 per balm for 2.3 g/ 0.08 oz):

Comparison swatches:

Lip swatches:

I’ve been a huge fan of By Terry Baume de Rose (for the original, gloss and tinted pots). They are extremely pricey so I would call these a super luxurious treat versus a must-have. There are quite a few other lip balms I adore that are more affordable but none of them compare to the By Terry. If you’ve tried a Baume de Rose you know that these are luscious balms that have a beautiful rich but soothing rose scent. The formula is creamy and smooth making it feel like your lips are getting a spa treatment when you apply it.

The Baume de Rose Set is also a luxurious splurge. If you have been wanting to try the tinted Baume de Rose colors but don’t want to spend $56 on a full size pot, this is a much more affordable way to try multiple colors. My favorite color out of all the tinted options is still Fig Fiction (it’s the one of the prettiest plum lip colors I’ve tried).

I give this a thumbs up although I have a slight preference for the full size pots. It is a really good intro set to By Terry’s Baume de Rose, but will also make a really beautiful gift this holiday for someone special.

If you’re looking for this set, I recommend purchasing it soon – it has already sold out on Space NK and Barneys (although you might still be able to find them in stores). Online you can find this set at Net-A-Porter and Beauty.com, while supplies last (it is limited-edition).

14 Comments
Uncategorized

Burberry Beauty Gold No. 25 Complete Eye Palette

December 11, 2014

For the holiday season Burberry Beauty has released a stunning Complete Eye Palette quad called Gold No. 25 ($60 for 5.4 g/0.19 oz, limited-edition, made in Italy). It’s one of the prettiest eye palettes I’ve seen this season for the holiday (for me it’s tied with Chanel Rêve D’Orient). Gold No. 25 is an interesting quad of gold, sage, bronze and chocolate. The shades combined create unique and modern twist on a golden nude eye. It comes cased in a gold-colored compact with the Burberry check pattern (which has been designed specifically for the holiday beauty collection).

All the shades are shimmery in this palette with extremely good pigment. The shadows are buttery smooth with a rich velvety texture that adheres well to the lids. The color is easy to build, layer, and blend. Together the light gold and sage-gold shades create the perfect soft wash while the bronze and chocolate define the eye and can be layered for a soft smokey look.

I know many of my readers are conservative when it comes to shimmer for the eyes. I’m still at a point in my life where I love a good shimmer (even some frosts are good for me). I don’t know that I will ever stop wearing shimmer (right now I’m in my early 30’s). I think the shimmer in this palette is finely milled enough that it will be wearable even for those timid of shimmery shadows.

The colors in this palette include a cool-toned creamy gold, an olive gold metallic, a soft warm bronze and a sparkling deep chocolate.

Two more close ups, the top without a flash in natural light. The bottom is in direct sunlight.The colors are so beautiful and the combination is genius in my mind.

Swatches:

When I saw the promo photos online, I thought it looked remarkably similar to Charlotte Tilbury The Golden Goddess. I’ve purchased a few of her quads and really like them, although most of the palettes contain a sparkle/glitter shade which I know will be a bit too glitzy for some. I personally find the sparkle wearable and conservative enough when layered over the other shades. A swatch comparison shows the Charlotte Tilbury to be a lot warmer in color compared to the Burberry. I think they are different enough to justify both, but if I had to pick just one, it would hands down be the Burberry Gold Complete Eye Palette.

One last shot:

I give Burberry Gold No. 25 a huge thumbs up. It’s the perfect mix of warm, neutral and cool, all in one palette. The colors layer together very well and the texture is smooth and easy to blend. I think it’s definitely worth checking out. It is limited-edition but still seems to be available online at many places including Net-A-Porter, Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue (on backorder).

The Gold No. 25 quad was provided courtesy of Burberry for review consideration.

12 Comments