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Le Metier de Beaute

Eye Makeup

Le Metier de Beaute Breast Cancer Awareness Kaleidoscopes

November 8, 2017

Le Metier de Beaute Kaleidoscope Kits BCA Awareness Faces of Beauty, Flash Phenomenon and Neiman Marcus Tampa Bay

This year Le Metier de Beaute launched their third anniversary kaleidoscope in support of Breast Cancer Awareness. I featured their first one called the Stephanie Kaleidoscope a couple years ago here in 2015 but it occurred to me that I never reviewed last year’s Faces of Beauty from 2016 so I’ve included it in this year’s review. This year they have a new one called Flash Phenomenon Face & Body Kaleidoscope for 2017 which is just stunning for a beautiful glow – but I’ve used this one the eyes and it’s stunning. I have a third one to feature new this year as well, it’s one you won’t find online as it was created exclusively for Neiman Marcus Tampa Bay called Awareness. I spotted it while I was out shopping and it was love at first sight.

For those not familiar with Le Metier de Beaute kaleidoscopes, they are unique swivel and stacked compacts that typically contain 4 round pans of shadows or cream product. The top has a flip up mirror which is convenient for touch ups. They are often limited-edition and pretty pricey at $95 each but the quality, pigment and texture of their powder shadows are among the best. I used to review and collect almost every one that was released, but after a while I saw so many repeat shades I found I had a lot of duplicates. You can still find a number of palettes online, I usually shop the brand at Neiman Marcus. The powder shadows and blushes in these kits have exceptionally smooth textures with rich color. They are easy to layer with each other and blend nicely.

A quick look at all three and swatches side by side:

Le Metier de Beaute Kaleidoscope Kits BCA Awareness Faces of Beauty, Flash Phenomenon and Neiman Marcus Tampa Bay

Le Metier de Beaute Kaleidoscope Kits BCA Awareness Faces of Beauty, Flash Phenomenon and Neiman Marcus Tampa Bay swatches

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Up first is the Faces of Beauty Kaleidoscope from 2016 which has four eyeshadows in a pink seashell shimmer, a medium bronze, a deeper olive taupe shimmer and a matte black with silver glitter flecks. This has excellent pigment for the three shimmer shades but the matte black is prone to some extra powdery-ness and fall out. I find it best to apply the black shade with a damp detail brush and pat onto the eye as a liner and the powder fall out issue is solved. Lasting power is excellent with these with or without any primers.

Le Metier de Beaute BCA Kaleidoscope Faces of Beauty

Le Metier de Beaute BCA Kaleidoscope Faces of Beauty

Le Metier de Beaute BCA Kaleidoscope Faces of Beauty swatches

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Next is this year’s Flash Phenomenon Face and Body Kaleidoscope which is actually like my dream eyeshadow palette come true. It has four stunning shimmers for a perfect glow on the eyes. I actually haven’t tried it on the face as the colors are pretty intense but I love them layered on the eyes. I do find I need at least 2 more shades for more definition to complete an eye look, but it’s still beautiful and a must in my book. Colors are an ivory shimmer, peachy shimmer, soft copper pink shimmer and a bronze shimmer.

Le Metier de Beaute BCA Kaleidoscope Flash Phenomenon

Le Metier de Beaute BCA Kaleidoscope Flash Phenomenon

Le Metier de Beaute BCA Kaleidoscope Flash Phenomenon swatches

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Last but not least is the Neiman Marcus Tampa Bay exclusive which is called Awareness. Those who have used Le Metier de Beaute know they often do counter and store exclusives which can be hard to track down and find as they’re usually not advertised online. I almost didn’t find it but noticed one in the display case that looked different and asked about it. I’m glad I did because I found out they had a store exclusive. The colors pull warmer on the skin than they look in the pan and texture is a bit stiffer/harder than most of the shadows I’ve tried from the brand. Quality is still on point and pigment is good, just texture is noticeably different. If you want to purchase this one you can call the counter and they will ship it to you. Colors in here include a shimmering silvery mauve, a slightly chalky matte mauve nude, a shimmering bronze and a shimmering plum.

Le Metier de Beaute BCA Awareness Kaleidoscope Neiman Marcus Tampa Bay Exclusive

Le Metier de Beaute BCA Awareness Kaleidoscope Neiman Marcus Tampa Bay Exclusive

Le Metier de Beaute BCA Awareness Kaleidoscope Neiman Marcus Tampa Bay Exclusive

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Two eye looks, one with the Flash Phenomenon kit, one with the Tampa Bay exclusive. These are taken with a flash and lose up so they look extra shimmery in the photos. In real life the glow is a lot more natural.

Le Metier de Beaute BCA Kaleidoscope Swatches Eye Looks

Le Metier de Beaute Kaleidoscope Kits BCA Awareness Faces of Beauty, Flash Phenomenon and Neiman Marcus Tampa Bay

Bottom line stunning. You can wear these with a dampened brush or dry. I find they adhere well to the lids even without a primer and lasting power is excellent. Of course finding a palette with shades you like 100% can be tricky – with most palettes there is usually at least one color I am luke-warm about. I love all the shades in each of these. I think Flash Phenomenon is my favorite of the bunch. I love last year’s Faces of Beauty but the matte black is a bit more challenging to work with. That being said I find most matte black shadows are hard to work with. The Awareness Neiman Marcus Tampa Bay exclusive kit is beautiful and I like that purchasing it helps a good cause. I do find the shadows a bit stiffer in texture although performance and pigment on the eyes is still very very good. For a more affordable option I do feel that Urban Decay Naked3 Palette can give you a similar effect.

You can find these Le Metier de Beaute Kaleidoscopes online and at select stores at Neiman Marcus. They are all listed as limited-edition.

Have you tried these yet? What did you think?

 

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Le Métier de Beauté x Neiman Marcus Breast Cancer Awareness Stephanie Kaleidoscope

October 18, 2015

 

This month Neiman Marcus and Le Métier de Beauté launched a special Limited-Edition Stephanie Kaleidoscope ($95) to celebrate Breast Cancer Awareness. It is inspired and designed by Stephanie Seban, a former Neiman Marcus employee, to help spread awareness about breast cancer. Proceeds from this kit are being donated to breast cancer research and awareness centers all over the nation, Le Métier de Beauté is give back 30% of total sales in support of the cause. You can read more about Stephanie’s touching story on her website Stephanie Seban. The launch coincides with the Neiman Marcus Incircle Event and there is a gift with purchase available online and in stores that ends today 10/18. (More on this below.)

 

 

 

The Stephanie Kaleidoscope contains four eyeshadows named Light, Heart, Hope and Live. Per Neiman Marcus, the inspiration behind each color is as follows:
  • Light – A brightening neutral
  • Heart – The heart of the Kaleidoscope, soft pink
  • Hope – A golden ray of hope
  • Live – A lively cool taupe
True to Le Métier de Beauté style, each color is very soft with a finely milled texture. The colors have medium but buildable pigment. They layer together beautifully for a stunning unique look. They always come up with color combinations I would never think of, sometimes there are shades I look at and think I would never wear. However when I try them, I’m always impressed with how beautiful they are.

 

From top to bottom, the colors are breathtakingly beautiful. Light is a bright neutral cream champagne, on my skin it pulls neutral-cool. The shimmer is very finely milled and it’s not frosty. The next shade Heart is a cool matte pink. I’m normally not one to wear pinks on the eyes like this one but I gave it a try and it looks quite pretty when layered with the other colors. It can also double as a very subtle blush. Hope is one of the warmest copper shimmers I’ve ever tried. It’s a surprisingly pretty color when mixed with the pink and taupe, I think this kit would be more wearable if this were more of a neutral golden shimmer rather than a warm coppery shade, but I find it unique and really pretty. The last shade is Live which is a shimmering taupe with slight khaki and grey tones. There’s a bit of silver shimmer mixed in which makes it a soft smokey shade.

 

 

 

 Close ups of each color:

 

 

 

 

 

There is a special gift with purchase for Neiman Marcus Incircle which is their bonus point event for Neiman Marcus cardholders. You don’t need a card to qualify for any of the gift with purchase promotions. The October Incircle Gift is with any $300 Le Métier de Beauté purchase which is fairly steep. I’ve had some kaleidoscopes on my wishlist for a long time and decided this gift was worth splurging for. There are two options of lip creme lip gloss, I picked the darker one Overcome which is a warm pink that’s slightly red. The other one in store looked like a non-shimmery cream that is a pale pink. They didn’t have testers so I didn’t swatch it. Also in the gift is a Baked Blush called Victoria and a Liquid Luminizer called Lambent. At this time all three are exclusive to this gift with purchase. (If you shop online the gift will be added automatically at checkout.)

 

 

One last shot of the Le Métier de Beauté x Neiman Marcus Breast Cancer Awareness Stephanie Kaleidoscope:

 

 

I tried to take photos of an eye look I did a few days ago but the lighting conditions weren’t the best and photos didn’t turn out so well. I do think the matte pink and copper are outside of my comfort zone in terms of wearable shadows for everyday but when they are layered with the other two the result is really quite pretty and not over the top. If you’re new to Le Metier de Beaute Kaleidoscopes, they have four swivel pans. Some are all eyeshadows, others have a mix of powder, blush, bronzer or gloss. The top flips up to reveal a mirror. They are beautifully designed and the quality of the shadows are phenomenal. (You can click the Le Métier de Beauté tag at the bottom to see previous reviews of other kits.)

 

Bottom line the Stephanie Kaleidoscope is a beautiful luxurious treat. If you can stop by the counter to see it in person I recommend doing so. It’s a delight to hear that a sizeable portion of the sales are going towards a good cause. I’m happy I purchased it. The pink packaging is really cute.

 

The Le Métier de Beauté Stephanie Kaleidoscope retails for $95. It’s limited-edition and exclusive to Neiman Marcus (online and in stores).

 

Have you checked out this kaleidoscope kit yet? What did you think?
On My Radar

On My Radar / New in Beauty

October 13, 2015

Happy Tuesday everyone! I feel as though holiday beauty releases, gift sets and collections are starting to flood my e-mail inbox with daily notifications. I’m really excited about this year’s gift sets – they look better than ever and there seem to some that are well-priced. I will have to make my lists and sort through them carefully before making purchases. A few things on my beauty radar this week.

First, three sales/gift with purchase events you might want to take note of. Space NK is having their explore event, details one post down, but use code EXPLORE15 for $25 off purchases of $100 or more (online only, valid through 10/25). Shopbop is having 25% Off Friends and Family Sale with code INTHEFAM25 (good for 3 days, ends 10/15). Neiman Marcus is having their Incircle Event so many lines have gift with purchase options.

From the top left clockwise:

  • Le Metier de Beaute and Neiman Marcus have created a limited-edition Breast Cancer Awareness Stephanie Kaleidoscope. I will be picking mine up later this week since they have their Incircle Event. There is a gift with purchase available with any $300 purchase (in store and online). More details once I pick mine up.
  • Chanel has some gorgeous releases for late fall into holiday. First there is a new Rouge Allure Collection featuring some new Rouge Allure Lipsticks (Inspiree and Eblouissante), Rouge Allure Velvet Lipsticks, new Rouge Double Colors (I picked up Bright Rose), Rouge Allure Gloss (in Ideale and Expressive), two new Le Vernis Nail Polishes in Singuliere and Troublant. Review on my picks soon.
  • Diptyque Holiday looks absolutely amazing. There will be three limited-edition holiday candles that launch November. You can pre-order some from Neiman Marcus now. Also the Diptyque South Coast Plaza store will have an exclusive early preview event at their store October 15th. You can call them (714) 850-9995 for details. They will have a gift with purchase and small bites available.
  • Molton Brown has two new hand treatments available. There is Alba White Truffle Hand Exfoliator and Alba White Truffle Hand Treatment. I’ve never thought about exfoliating the hands before – it will be interesting to see how the duo performs.
  • Buxom Cosmetics has a number of cute holiday sets with minis. The Don’t Miss a Beat set has 6 mini lip polishes. If you want a bigger selection of colors, the Leave Your Mark Full-On Lip Polish & Lip Cream Set has 15 minis.
  • RMS Beauty has launched nine Nail Polishes. There are several different finishes in creams and metallics. I’m particularly intrigued with how the Luminizer shade will look on the hands.
  • The Sephora Beauty Insider 250 Point Perk for October Bite Beauty’s Kir Royale has launched online!! Swatches of the lipstick and lipgloss in this post here. If you’ve been stalking Sephora for this bonus to arrive online, I just spotted it today.
  • Last but not least, some of Tom Ford Holiday has launched online for pre-order at Neiman Marcus. It’s all very smokey and dark. I have my eye on the Waterproof Mascara in Noir and Nail Lacquer in Black Out (it looks like it could be a dupe for Chanel Steel).
What’s on your beauty radar this week? Do you have anything on your wishlist or are you waiting to see more holiday launches before splurging?

Beauty Lips Roundup

My Favorite Neutral Pink and Nude Lip Liner Pencils

October 7, 2015

 

I’m a neutral nude lipstick lover but I since I have pigmented lips I can’t always pull off nudes. Many tend to either look super pale and chalky like concealer or are too dark on me – I know everyone has a different definition of nude when it comes to makeup, but to me a true nude is a your lips but better kind of color that is light and close to your natural skintone. I adore shades like MAC Cherish, Blankety, Creme Cup etc but they are almost impossible for me to wear alone without looking like I’ve swiped concealer all over my lips. Lip pencils often make it possible for me to wear lighter nude colors with blending or by creating a good softly lined base. If you’ve tried ordering lip pencils online like me then you know how hard it is to tell what the color looks like based on online swatches. I thought I’d roundup 20+ of my favorite neutral lip pencils alongside cult classics (some of which do not work for me even though they are wildly popular). As you’ll see below many times you can’t tell what the color will really look like until you swatch it. Also like nude neutral lipsticks, lip pencils have a wide variety of different undertones: warm, cool, pink, beige, peach, plum and brown.

 

Above photo: Diptyque Room Spray in Baies, Chêne candle recycled (boutique exclusive), stacked Blushes from Chanel and Hourglass 

 

 

A bit of background on what I look for in lip liners. I like ones that are soft and glide over the lips. I’m usually not a line and fill kind of girl when it comes to lip liners. I prefer to wear them around the outer edge and blend it slightly inwards to the center of lips to create an outlined base and then fill with a gloss or lipstick. Since many pencils are super pigmented and super saturated in color to help extend the wear of lipstick, I find lining and filling the entire lip leaves the lips looking really dry and emphasizes lines. This of course can be fixed with a good lip balm, lip primer or gloss.
I have 28 lip pencils to share swatches of, I’ll link previous lip swatches if I have them. I was debating whether or not to swatch all on my lips – but nudes tend to look so different on me compared to everyone else. I think the swatches on the arms will help show the differences.

 

 

 

  1. Le Metier de Beaute Dualistic Lip Pencil in Nudite is a medium pinky brown creamy lip pencil, this one glides on the lips easily and is very pigmented, it has a smooth texture
  2. H&M Lip Liner in Au Naturel is included in the roundup because it’s a new one and the perfect neutral nude color and at $5.99 I couldn’t resist ordering it, on bare lips it’s a disaster for me, you definitely need to prep the lips with a bit of lip balm or primer, this is borderline too pale, but it works
  3. MAC Pro Longwear Lip Pencil in Cultured is new to me, it’s a long-wear mauvey nude pink
  4. MAC Lip Pencil in Subculture is my perfect nude pink, it has reached holy grail status for me, I’ve gone through 4 of them in my life, it’s the best light pink nude that is still wearable
  5. MAC Lip Pencil in Oak is a classic light flesh nude, it’s a classic for me because it has no orange undertone in it but doesn’t make me look dead, unfortunately I think it might be on the discontinue list – the only place I could find it was on Bloomingdale’s so I ordered 3 backups
  6. MAC Lip Pencil in Stripdown is another good true flesh nude, it’s brown in undertone and slightly warmer than Oak, it’s a good one but I know many find it too brown/grey
  7. MAC Lip Pencil in Boldly Bare comes second to my favorite Subculture, it’s what I wanted Spice to always be, Boldly Bare is the perfect pinky warm medium nude that works wonders with pale lip colors and glosses
  8. MAC Lip Pencil in Spice is a cult classic that was so popular when I was in high school, every cool girl owned it, on me it was always so brown and pulled orangey on my lips even though it swatches more neutral, I still use and wear it to tweak lip colors, it’s just not my favorite
  9. MAC Lip Pencil in Dervish isn’t really a nude, it’s more of a neutral medium rosy pink, but it falls into the neutral category for me, it’s a classic staple I think everyone should try
  10. MAC Lip Pencil in Whirl is another really good nude, it pulls more mauvey nude rose which I adore, the cool tones prevents it from looking orange or brown on my lips, it has enough depth to really define the lips perfectly
  11. MAC Pro Longwear Lip Pencil in Double-Time is a neutral medium warm brown-pink-nude, this lasts all day without budging
  12. MAC Lip Pencil in Soar is a medium to dark pink, it’s a bit darker and deeper on me than the traditional neutral, if you have deeper skin or deeper lips, this will probably pull more neutral on you than it does on me
  13. MAC Lip Pencil in Hover is another deeper neutral, it’s one of the deepest neutrals I own
  14. MAC Pro Longwear Lip Pencil in Staunchly Stylish almost matches Subculture but it’s slightly deeper and has a more pigmented finish
  15. Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat Re-Size and Re-Shape Lip Liner in Iconic Nude is my perfect true nude in the sense that it’s a flesh-toned beige nude, this is a classic pigmented pencil that I think might be a universally flattering color
  16. Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat Re-Size and Re-Shape Lip Liner in Pillow Talk is a classic rosy pink neutral, this one goes well with a lot of the Charlotte Tilbury Lipsticks like Bitch Perfect, Confession, Penelope Pink etc.
  17. Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat Re-Size and Re-Shape Lip Liner in Pink Venus is a warm peachy pink, the color warms up the lips and adds life to the face
  18. Chanel Precision Lip Definer in Natural is a classic light neutral pink nude beige, if you’re looking for the perfect beige pink nude, this is it, compared to other formulas Chanel can tug on the lips a little, but they aren’t drying
  19. Chanel Precision Lip Definer in Beige Satin is one of the lightest colors I own, it’s borderline too pale for me, but I like mixing it with beige and nude lipsticks
  20. Chanel Precision Lip Definer in Beige Innocent is another pale pearly lip pencil from Chanel, it’s almost identical to Beige Satin but slightly lighter
  21. Chanel Precision Lip Definer in Nude is a cult classic that has been used on me for every single Chanel makeover I’ve had, it’s always seemed to be darker than what I envisioned a nude to be, but it’s almost magical – artists have used this with every lip color imaginable from red, pink, coral, beige, peach – this somehow transforms and defines lip colors in the most amazing way
  22. Laura Mercier Lip Pencil in Naked is light baby pink neutral, it looks super light on me, but when I blend it out, it evens out the lip tone
  23. Laura Mercier Lip Pencil in Chestnut is another cult classic that is super popular, it’s always recommended for the lipsticks I look at when shopping at the counter, it’s a mauvey warm neutral
  24. Marc Jacobs Beauty (P)Outliner Lip Pencil in Honey(bun) is a super pigmented creamy twist up lip pencil, all three shades of the (P)Outliner are reviewed here, Honey(bun) is a neutral bright peachy color
  25. Marc Jacobs Beauty (P)Outliner Lip Pencil in Prim(rose) is a rosey pink brown neutral
  26. Marc Jacobs Beauty (P)Outliner Lip Pencil in Nude(ist) is a beige brown nude
  27. Edward Bess Defining Lip Liner in Natural is in my top picks for lip pencil formula, it comes in a sleek twist up tube and mine have never dried out, I’ve gone through several pencils, it’s a great go-with-everything kind of neutral, texture is smooth and doesn’t tug the lips
  28. Nudestix Lip & Cheek Pencil in Soul is one of the few chubby pencils I really really like. I own a number of chubby sticks from different brands but always find them a pain to sharpen (they always get so messy). Nudestix has a wide number of great nudes, Soul is my perfect warm peach nude (swatched on lips here)
One more view of all the pencils:

 

 

From the * clockwise, Le Metier de Beaute Nudite, H&M Au Naturel, MAC Cultured, MAC Subculture, MAC Oak, MAC Stripdown, MAC Boldly Bare, MAC Spice, MAC Dervish, MAC Whirl, MAC Double-Time, MAC Soar, MAC Hover, MAC Staunchly Stylish, Nudestix Soul, Edward Bess Natural, Marc Jacobs Beauty Nudite, Marc Jacobs Beauty Primrose, Marc Jacobs Beauty Honeybun, Laura Mercier Chestnut, Laura Mercier Naked, Chanel Nude, Chanel Beige Innocent, Chanel Beige Satin, Chanel Natural, Charlotte Tilbury Pink Venus, Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk, Charlotte Tilbury Iconic Nude

 

 

Truffle Small Clarity Clutch in new Nude
I hope you found this roundup of neutral lip pencils helpful! I think the swatches show how different many of them are even though they look really similar just based on the pencils themselves. If I were pressed to rank my top picks, my absolute favorites/staples are:

 

MAC Subculture
MAC Whirl
Edward Bess Natural
MAC Oak
Chanel Nude
Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk
Do you have a favorite neutral lip pencil? I’d love to hear about what your holy grail neutrals are!
Press samples featured include Marc Jacobs (P)Outliners x3, Marc Jacobs Enamored Hi-Shine Lip Lacquer in Moonglow, Nudestix Soul, Buxom True Nude Lip Foundation, Truffle Clarity Clutch
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Le Métier de Beauté Ken Downing Paris and Full Stream Kaleidoscopes

September 22, 2015

It’s been over a year since I’ve featured anything from Le Métier de Beauté. Long-time readers know that I used to be a huge fan of the line. Their kaleidoscope kits feature some of the most beautiful colors for eyes and cheeks – over the past 5+ years I accumulated quite a few and loved them (I still do). However I found that many kits contained repeat colors and at $95+ each, I found them too pricey to end up with duplicate colors (as seen in one of my last posts on the line from 2014). Fast forward to this month and I decided to splurge on two for the Neiman Marcus Beauty Event (which ends tomorrow 9/23) – both of which seemed unique enough to justify. One is the Ken Downing Paris Eye Kaleidoscope $125 (which isn’t new, but still available for purchase) and the other is a new one called Full Stream Kaleidoscope $95.

The Le Métier de Beauté Ken Downing Paris Eye Kaleidoscope has four eyeshadows. This one is more expensive than most, priced at $125 for 0.49 oz/ 14 g. I was also really drawn to the Ken Downing London Kit, but 2 of the 4 shades seemed very warm. In my experience, Le Métier de Beauté always surprises me with how wearable the reddish/orangey shades are on the eyes, especially when layered with cooler tones, but I decided to opt for the cool version.

The four shades include a soft satiny cool pink shimmer, a warm copper metallic, a cool pale silver dove grey shimmer and a warm brown shimmer. The mix of warm and cool is pure genius, especially when the colors are layered together (although I’ve shown them swatched separately). Pigment is easy to build. The two lighter shades are sheerer in finish with a soft satiny texture while the darker ones are more metallic, more buttery in texture and more pigmented.

Close ups of each shade:

There are four new Kaleidoscopes exclusive to Neiman Marcus. The four are called Full Stream, Lift Off, Bon Voyage and All Aboard (not available online yet). Each kit has a translucent pressed powder and variations of blush, bronzer, highlighter and eyeshadow. I originally pre-ordered two, but since all have a pressed powder, I remembered my hesitation in getting duplicates and picked Full Stream.

All four photographed in store from Neiman Marcus Beverly Hills:

Full Stream has a translucent powder, one cool pink shimmery blush, a warm tan bronzer and a soft peachy shimmer eyeshadow (also works as a highlighter). The kit is very simple and basic – but it’s perfect for on-the-go and touchups. I was worried the powder would look really white on my face because swatching it showed it was really pigmented. On the face, even on my tan skin, it disappears and leaves a matte-looking finish.

Close ups of each color:

I’m happy with both of my purchases. They did make a serious dent in my wallet and although Full Stream is easily dupeable with other colors, sometimes it’s nice to have something basic that doesn’t require much effort or thought to apply. It brightens the face in a natural polished way and adds color without looking overdone. I can see this going really well with bold lips. Even though these are expensive at $95 and $125 each, if you break it down per pan, it’s about $23 to $31 per color which isn’t too bad given the product amount. Comparing it to other brands at the per gram or per ounce price, it’s reasonable. Still, if you’re like me, you probably budget beauty splurges at the bottom line total, so yes, these are still pricey. The only gripe I have about these two is the sticker at the top. I like the fun designs and they are really pretty – however the kits have a slightly rounded top and the stickers are flat so the result is a bubbled sticker that looks uneven. I had one in my purse in my makeup bag (I don’t recommend doing this) and the tops are not scratch proof. One of mine wasn’t applied on the kit evenly so the edges started to come up. It bothered me enough that I pulled the sticker off which is a shame because the designs are really cute.

In summary, I think the new kits are definitely worth looking into. You can find both the Ken Downing Paris and Full Stream Kaleidoscope exclusively in store and online at Neiman Marcus.
Uncategorized

Loving This Week

June 10, 2014

This week I’m in love with Tatcha’s Indigo Hand Cream and Caudalie’s Divine Oil for extra moisture and hydration. Fresh Sugar Lip Treatments in the mini sizes have found their way to my makeup bag on a regular basis lately as well for added moisture and quick touch ups. As my skin has started to clear up the Chanel Les Beiges Fluid No. 30 has started to be sufficient on its own (just with powder added) for a sheer evening base. As an update to my last review, I got a sample of No. 20 and found it to be a good match as well, just slightly too pink so No. 30 is a better match for me right now. Edward Bess Afterglow has remained a staple for me every day, I just used another one up and opened up a brand new one. Perfect as an eye base or highlight on the cheekbones. Another eye pencil I’ve been loving for an eye base is NARS Soft Touch Pencil in Iraklion as a good nude taupey cream base for powder eyeshadows. It’s a lovely subtle neutral. Sephora Beauty Insider offerings are killing it this summer with the Elizabeth and James Nirvana minis (I’m seriously considering the full size of Nirvana Black). MAC Sharon Osbourne Lipglasses in Pussywillow and Bijou are my new must-haves (review to come soon, I think Bijou is backup worthy). I’m planning a mid-week nail polish change on my toes but can’t decide between Dior Metal Montaigne or Incognito (do you ever do nudes on your toes?). Guerlain Cils d’Enfer in Waterproof Black is a new discovery thanks to The Raeviewer (be sure to check out her summer must-haves). I love it for lush thick defined lashes and the formula stays put all day long. Le Metier de Beaute Dark Orchid Kaleidoscope is a Neiman Marcus Camp Gorgeous Gift with Purchase Exclusive with a $250 LMdB purchase, I purchased items in store to get this, but just checked online to see it it was available. It’s not listed in the beauty offers section but if you add items to your cart the gift will show up once you hit the qualifying amount (while supplies last). I wish Le Metier de Beaute would release more kaleidoscopes that weren’t exclusives but I’m really happy to have this one.

Currently working my way through reviews of so many lipglosses that I’ve accumulated since May. Featured above are Marc Jacobs Overprotected and NARS Lipgloss in Istria, Belize, Sweet Dreams and Risky Business.

What are you loving this week?
Uncategorized

Color Focus: Nude Pink Lipsticks

May 26, 2014

I’m a huge fan of natural nude lips but finding a good nude that doesn’t wash out my complexion can be tricky. Luckily there are a number of shades that exist that work for my pigmented lips and olive skin. I’ve been testing a number of nude pinks over the past few months – I wanted to share some of my tried and true along with some new discoveries. Everyone has a different definition of “nude” – there are flesh nudes, pink nudes, peachy nudes, dark brown nudes. Depending on skin tone and lip tones you may find certain nudes work better for you with pink tones versus brownish tones. See some other blogger’s favorites and reviews on Beauty Professor, Temptalia and Beautezine.

Here are some that I’ve found work for me. If you’re on the hunt for a new neutral I hope this helps you discover some new options.

  1. By Terry Hyaluronic Sheer Rouge in Nudissimo ($35) is a sheer light nude peachish pink, it has a moisturizing texture with a sheer glossy finish, lasting power is on the shorter side because of the glossy finish but this is a good swipe and go no-fuss sheer
  2. Tom Ford Lip Color Shine Nubile ($48) is a darker nude pink that has a glossy finish but really good coverage for a shine lipstick, it covers my lip entirely and moisturizes well, lasting power is quite good and these have that soft Tom Ford vanilla scent, it’s extremely pricey but worth every penny for the formula and coverage
  3. Tom Ford Lip Color Pink Dusk ($49) is a classic pink in Tom Ford’s classic lipstick formula, it is a full-coverage cream, it can pull a bit light so you may need to layer a bit of gloss on top, if you’re darker than Chanel 30/MAC NC35 and need darker pinks, opt for Pink Adobe or Indian Rose if you want a natural pink (swatches here and here)
  4. Marc Jacobs Lovemarc Lip Gel Role Play ($30) review here, is a dusty rose pink cream, it’s easy to wear, has full coverage, lasts long and feels amazing on the lips
  5. Marc Jacobs Lovemarc Lip Gel Severine ($30) is described as a warm beige, it’s a wearable nude beige cream that doesn’t wash out the complexion, the Marc Jacobs lip gels have a unique gel-like texture in a solid lipstick, these adhere to the lips and feel slightly thick but feel good on the lips, the formula is creamy and feels moisturizing (note testers at Sephora stores can look less than ideal, but I recommend giving these a try)
  6. Lipstick Queen Saint Lipstick Pinky Nude ($22) is a 10% pigment lipstick for but those who are not quite ready for full coverage lipstick but want something with more coverage than a gloss, these are described as sheer, moist and incredibly easy to wear with
    no-shimmer, I used Pink up to the end of the tube many years ago, Lipstick Queen has since expanded the color range, Pink Nude Saint is a perfect nude pink sheer lipstick that I can see as being flattering on a wide range of skintones, texture and wear is really good for a sheer lipstick
  7. Lipstick Queen Sinner Lipstick Pinky Nude ($22) is a 90% pigment lipstick, Lipstick Queen has corresponding shades in both the Sinner and Saint formula, the colors are pretty close in each formula, Sinner Pinky Nude is more nude while Saint Pinky Nude is more pink, the Sinner formula is a good nude pink that doesn’t wash out the complexion, I’ve been really impressed with the smooth texture and level of coverage, for those who are sensitive to fragranced lip products you will like Lipstick Queen because there is no detectable fragrance
  8. Hourglass Extreme Sheen Lipgloss Canvas ($28) review here, is a high impact gloss that acts more like a liquid lipstick, it’s a holy-grail lip product, I recommend this for anyone (see linked review for more details)
  9. Edward Bess Ultra Slick Lipstick Pure Impulse ($32) is my holy grail true nude lipstick, it has a slight hint of pink mixed with beige to give the perfect nude lips, it has a soft fig scent, I’ve gone through two tubes of this over the years, it’s a classic nude color that I can wear for any occasion, it has a creamy finish with a moisturizing feel, in my mind Edward Bess can do no wrong
  10. MAKE Silk Lipstick Cream Pink Clay ($25) is a new brand I’ve discovered at Barneys, there have been numerous raves about this brand from The Non-Blonde and Café Makeup so I stopped by the counter at Barneys Beverly Hills a few weeks ago, I was thoroughly impressed by all the lipsticks for the rich smooth pigment, it was hard to pick just one color, but I decided on Pink Clay a darker mauve nude pink to try, the formula is truly incredible, it feels like silk on the lips but gives full smooth coverage, I’m definitely going to be adding more colors to my collection in the future
  11. Le Metier de Beaute Lip Creme in Socialyte ($36) is an exclusive shade to the Neiman Marcus in Downtown Dallas designed by Michael Flores, it’s a complex pink, nude, coral, rose, I wish it were available at all Le Metier counters, call the Downtown Dallas counter for more details, I believe it’s a limited shade
  12. Le Metier de Beaute Hydra Creme Lipstick in Amore ($25) is a cream peachy pink that has a brightening effect on my olive skin, in the tube it looks like a darker pink nude but on my lips it goes on a bit lighter and brighter than what I see in the tube, but this is probably just because I have pigmented lips, coverage is medium but layerable with a moisturizing feel
  13. NARS Satin Lip Pencil Isola Bella ($25) is my perfect nude peach, it’s a bit darker than your traditional nude but this is perfect for me because it covers my lip entirely and gives a hint of color so it doesn’t wash out the complexion
  14. YSL Rouge Volupte Shine Nude in Private #9 ($35) review here, is a sheer lipstick that feels like a lip balm, these are good swipe and go lipsticks similar in concept to Chanel Rouge Coco Shines, if you like a no-fuss sheer lipstick, these are good lipsticks that are layerable for more color but with a slightly glossy finish, those who like medium to full coverage will find these too sheer
More close ups and detail swatches, all are clickable for larger detail viewing:

The effects are similar in the fact they are all natural your-lips-but-better kind of shades but each lipstick featured has slightly different undertones, finishes and textures. These aren’t all the nudes I’ve tried or love, but just a few I wanted to feature today. If I had to pick my top five nudes/nude-pinks:
What’s your favorite nude pink lipstick? If you can share your favorites and skintone that would be great, I would love to hear what works for you.

Lipstick Queen Sinner and Saint Pinky Nude and Hourglass Canvas were provided for review courtesy of each brand, all opinions my own, for more see my Disclosure.