Becca always puts together the most beautiful makeup looks. Check out their features from past seasons under Becca Style – Makeup Looks and you’ll see what I mean. This season Becca has released a new collection called Fallen Angel. The featured looks were just so stunning that I immediately ordered the 2 palettes: Enigma (eyes) $49 and Fallen Angel (lip and cheek) $45.
Enigma Palette has a trio of neutral-cool smokey colors. Amure is a matte soft grey-brown, Silesia is a dark smokey grey-brown-black, Surah is a shimmery mauve. All have a soft velvety texture which make these easy to apply and blend together. I was a bit let down by the palette in the sense that it did not look like the promotional photo online. Still the quality is very good and colors are good neutrals for a soft smokey eye – just not very unique.
Fallen Angel Palette is for lips and cheeks. It appears to have more of a peachy-resort feel rather than angelic. When I think “angel” I think soft pink and champagne. Still this is lovely. Sunrise is a sheer peach (almost clear), Nectar reminds me of Tuberose Lip & Cheek Creme, Narcissus is a pale gold cream highlighter.
As much as I love Becca, I was somewhat disappointed by what came in the mail. Having been somewhat let down (compared to the promotional photos) twice in the past, you would think I had learned my lesson to wait and check out other reviews before ordering again. These palettes are indeed beautiful and very wearable, so don’t get me wrong, I think they are very high quality and worth the price. I was just expecting something different. Below are swatches, the eyeshadows were swatched over a lightly moisturized arm.
One last view for size comparison, the palette colors are similar in size to a MAC eyeshadow. The Becca Shadows are 1.6 g or 2 g each (depending on color) while MAC eyeshadows are 1.5 g each. Do note I find the quality and texture of the Becca much better than most MAC shadows. The creams in the Fallen Angel Palette are 1.3 g each.
L to R: Le Metier de Beaute Whisper & Armani Holiday 2010 Shimmer Powder (to be reviewed soon)
Top to bottom: Chanel Star Glossimer, Laura Mercier Pink Diamond, Trish Irresistible Nude, MAC Oyster Girl Lipglass, MAC Gel Lipstick (on tube #3), D&G Perfection Lipstick
L to R: Paul & Joe Pearl Powder #01, MAC Naked Pigment, NARS All About Eve Eyeshadow Duo
OPI Hollywood Blonde Nail Polish, MAC Bare Study Paint Pot
MAC Bare Study Paint Pot, Paul & Joe Pearl Powder #01, MAC Naked Pigment, OPI Hollywood Blonde Nail Polish, Le Metier de Beaute Whisper Highlighter, D&G Perfection Lipstick, MAC Oyster Girl Lipglass, NARS All About Eve Duo, Chanel Star Glossimer, Laura Mercier Pink Diamond Lip Glace, Trish Irresistible Nude, MAC Gel Lipstick
YSL has a beautiful holiday collection this year filled with lovely metallic golds, champagne pinks and shimmery colors. I’m going to split up my reviews into two parts. First up are the Holiday La Laques ($20 each) in 139 Gold, 140 Pink Gold, 141 White Gold and two of the Holiday Golden Glosses ($30 each) in 38 Golden Champagne and 39 Golden Chestnut.
The Golden Glosses are typical YSL style and loaded with sparkle. They are on the sheer side and have the signature YSL gloss scent – sweet and like candy. These are non-gritty and smooth in texture. If you bought any of the Golden Glosses from the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale (#31, 32 or 33) then I’d say you don’t need either of these new holiday shades. The effect is similar.
Golden Champagne #38 is a soft pink with gold sparkle
Golden Chestnut #39 is a warm beigey-tan with gold sparkle
Comparisons to some other Golden Glosses. For many of these I can barely tell the difference in the tube unless I look at them closely in direct sunlight. Some have a different sparkle than others. There are some with a straight gold sparkle. Others have a multi-colored sparkled infused in the gloss. There are differences in the base color as well. Some have a more transparent finish while others have a more opaque creamy finish. All are still on the sheer side. Those wondering how these compare to MAC – the YSL Golden Glosses are like Dazzleglass Cremes without the grittiness. In my opinion the YSL are much better than MAC.
This is the first time I have tried YSL’s nail polishes so I won’t be able to compare these to previous shades. All I know is their number system drives me nuts to no end. Magazines will often list the products by name while the testers at counters are all labeled by number. Many times I’ve just given up trying to match the name and numbers. The holiday nail colors are frost-finished colors with rich pigment. The finish can be streaky if you’re not careful but the coverage is just incredible. The result is a high-shine metallic, almost foil-like finish.
Gold #139 is a pale gold frost
Pink Gold #140 is a copper pink-gold
White Gold #141 is like a sterling silver color (this is sheerer than the others)
The metallic nature of these polishes made it difficult to photograph. Here is one taken at an angle so you can see the color without the shine washing out all the color from the flash:
Photographed with a high flash:
Comparisons to other shades:
YSL #139 Gold Comparison Swatches:
YSL #140 Pink Gold & #141 White Gold Comparison Swatches:
Overall thoughts: I’ve been exploring YSL more and more lately. After buying several Golden Glosses I’ve found that most of them are pretty similar on the lips, so in the future I’ll probably stick to the regular non-shimmer shades. I found the Holiday Collection at Bloomingdales which only carries currently sold product, like most department stores. The other shades shown for comparison purposes have been discontinued meaning they were no where in any store to be pulled for comparison purposes.
I like the nail polishes for their excellent quality and rich pigment. I do find them a bit too metallic-y for my taste. I would have liked a more sophisticated shimmer rather than something that looks like chrome. Still I am impressed. The colors are unique and even in my extensive nail polish stash I don’t have anything quite like these holiday colors. I have Pink Gold #140 on my toes right now and I have to say it looks a lot better on the toes than the fingers.
Coming up soon: the Holiday highlighter and Gold Touche d’Or.
I was on the phone calling up Nikki from Saks Houston as soon as Karen from Makeup and Beauty Blog gave us a sneak peek at the Dolce & Gabbana Holiday Collection. Nikki put me on the wait list and called me as soon as it came in. (Read about why I love Nikki here.) I was thrilled that it came in time for Saks’ Friends and Family event and also in time for the Saks GWP from Dolce & Gabbana. I saw the holiday campaign ad in Elle and it made me go “oooh pretty.” What arrived in the mail was not exactly reflective of the ad campaign or the holiday spirit but still gorgeous, nevertheless.
My first thoughts: This looks like something for resort. My second thoughts: The promotional ad looks like it’s simply been photoshopped from season to season rather than a true application of the holiday colors. Of course these are just my own thoughts. These days resort seems to be the new holiday when it comes to designer fashion and beauty collections.
Desert Eyeshadow Quad – matte bone, shimmery sandy gold, matte warm tan brown, matte dark warm chocolate
Update here – the swatches and comparisons below:
Bronzer & Blush thoughts: Cashmere Bronzer is very similar to their Desert Bronzer. The difference is that Cashmere appears to be warmer in undertone. Both have a subtle finely milled shimmer that doesn’t really show up on the skin, however both just make the skin glow with that healthy tan look. Rosebud Blush seems more Apricot/Petal to me versus Rosebud-y. I envisioned a pink color but instead a brightened peach came. I love it even if it’s not very holiday. It’s brighter than the Dolce & Gabbana Peach and Nude blushes as you can see below. The difference in the compact is subtle. I’m afraid the swatches make them look the same but the difference can be seen when you apply them on the face.
Lipstick & Lipgloss thoughts: I really liked the Shimmer, Rosebud & Desert lipsticks from the holiday collection. The formula of the shine lipsticks aren’t the best because of the glossy texture but I love them anyways and don’t mind reapplying. I couldn’t find a dupe or comparable shade to Desert. Here are some similar shades to Shimmer & Rosebud.
The Dolce & Gabbana Lipglosses are beautiful in my opinion. They do have that Dolce & Gabbana flowery scent but it’s not overpowering. Those who wonder how Shimmer & Honey compare to other shades, here’s the lineup:
Thoughts on the eye items: Dolce & Gabbana Shimmer Eyeliner is very similar to Stila’s Kitten Smudge Pot (which I have barely used). I like the texture of the Dolce & Gabbana much better. The Stila was a bit hard to work with (it has a slightly different texture than the other smudgepots in my opinion).
The Desert quad – I’m sorry to say seems rather boring. They could have spiced up the matte shades and made it more special. Still I really love the pigment and texture of Dolce & Gabbana eyeshadows. They’re really easy to blend and have a lovely velvety texture. Here it is compared to Chanel Beiges de Chanel (long d/c) and the new Bobbi Brown Day To Night Warm Eye Palette from this holiday.
Overall thoughts: Love the Rosebud Blush and all the lip items. Bronzer & Eye Quad – ok, but not must haves. I think there are better options from the Dolce & Gabbana line.
If you’re in need of a good Dolce & Gabbana rep I highly recommend Nikki from Saks Houston. She is incredible and described everything spot on. You can check out my post on the fall collection for her contact info or e-mail me directly.
I couldn’t resist. Pretty packaging, sparkly black gold + shimmery cool taupe and I was sold on the Minaudière in Grey Golds 001 from Saks. You saw my feature of the Dior Minaudière in Pink Golds 002 last week. Here are photos of the Grey Golds version – my favorite of the two options and as far as I know, exclusive to Saks in the U.S.
On the nails, Chanel Cosmic Violine, top from Banana Republic
The Grey Golds version has a black with gold sparkles, cool shimmery taupe, and a lovely warm white-gold sparkle. The eyeshadows apply true to what you see in the pan. They are softer in texture than the quints making them easier to blend. All shades are very shimmery.
The lip colors are a bit more deceiving. In the compact you see a dark vampy plum and a white-gold sparkle. When you swatch them, the plum actually applies more red and the white gold applies even more sparkly than what you see in the compact.
Here are the shadows of the 2 clutch palettes from Dior:
I spotted a preview of Dior’s Holiday Minaudiere from British Beauty Blogger back in July and have been dreaming about the holiday collection ever since then. The clutch-like compact they designed this year is beautiful! Kari from Fab Over Forty showed us the Saks grey version earlier last week and as soon as I saw it I ran to my Nordstrom to check out the pink version. I put it aside as a pre-sale item for an event but picked up a few other things from their holiday collection that they had in stock (hence the title “round one”).
What I picked up: Pink Stiletto #234 Addict Lip Gloss, Endless Shine #529 Quint, Timeless Gold #226 Nail Polish & Czarina Gold #916 Nail Polish
Endless Shine Quint – This one comes in the Iridescent formula and all shades have a high level of frost, much like Earth Reflection, Goldfever, Crush Glow, Ready to Glow etc. The colors are highly pigmented and smooth making them easy to blend. This quint seems better suited for spring or summer but is still neutral enough to pull off year round. It’s beautiful and much more wearable than the quints from the past few seasons (Misty Mauve, Crush Glow and Ready to Glow). I rarely wear all five shades at one time – there’s simply not enough space on my eyelids to fit all the colors. They do layer and blend together beautifully. Do I think it’s a must-have? Dior quints have beautiful pigmentation and complex colors that you can’t easily find elsewhere. However I think you can definitely find similar shades in other lines. I personally could not find any dupes – the closest quad I could find was Chanel’s Shimmering Dunes which is significantly less frosty and still different among all the colors.
In direct sunlight:
*Updated* better swatches than my original ones:
Chanel Shimmering Dunes versus Dior Endless Shine:
*Update* Comparisons to a few other quints so you can see how different Endless Shine is:
Pink Stiletto Lip Gloss – This is one of those colors that made my jaw drop. It’s a gorgeous light warm pink with gold flecks. Very sheer but just absolutely stunning in the tube. I couldn’t find anything similar – it’s like a pink version of Bobbi Brown’s Rose Gold Gloss but with gold flecks added. Simply stunning. From the photos you may think it resembles MAC’s Nymphette – but it’s very different. This is one you have to see in person to really see how beautiful it is. I haven’t noticed much of a difference between the original addict reflect gloss and the new formula except the packaging/tube size. These are still smooth with a high gloss finish. Lasting power is not the best.
Timeless Gold & Czarina Gold Nail Polishes – I was pleasantly surprised by both shades. There were no testers at the counter yet because they didn’t receive their display but I knew I had to have them both. Timeless Gold has a similar finish to Silver Pearl from last spring. High frost, rich pigment, almost foiled-like finish but has a non-streaky finish. Czarina Gold is a black-gold with a somewhat sheer formula. You will need 3 thin coats for a full finish but it’s also stunning. When I first pulled my other black-golds I thought “oh no, I’ve wasted another $20-something on a color I already have dupes of.” I will say from arm’s length it looks similar to D&G Stromboli and MAC Seriously Hip, but the Czarina Gold is the best in my opinion because the base has the slightest hint of plum-brown which prevents it from looking greenish as some black-golds can look.
Left: Timeless Gold
Right: Czarina Gold
Another interesting detail I noticed – Dior has changed the brush this season to have a wider/flatter tip that is slightly chiseled and tapered. See below how it compares to the old version and also Chanel’s brush tip. I can’t say I like one over the other, although this new chiseled tip is very unique and had me ooohing and aaahing as I was swatching the colors.
Comparison shades: I could not find a dupe for Dior Timeless Gold, although Chanel Kaleidoscope is strikingly similar. The differences are that the Dior is less streaky but it lacks that greenish/olive tinge that the Chanel has.
Czarina Gold comparisons: What you see in the bottles is slightly deceiving, scroll down for the swatches to see what I mean.
The collection is absolutely stunning. When I went to the counter they didn’t have the display unit up but my sales associate pulled everything for me to see. They didn’t have the Five Golds Quint for sale (although the tester is to die for) and the other gloss was way too glittery for my taste. I was surprised there wasn’t anything for the cheeks this season but was happy for my wallet. I passed on all their “sets” (minaudiere excluded) because I felt like the full sized individual items were better suited for my coloring.
Chanel has been on quite a roll with a number of product releases this summer and fall – so much so, I can barely keep up, but I like what I see so far. The Rouge Allure Extrait de Gloss collection is beautiful with a diverse range of pinks and reds – I think everyone can find at least one item to suit their coloring. The collection is both classic and modern at the same time. I’m not sure if these items have hit all counters yet. I got mine from Chanel.com and I believe Saks has an exclusive to release the collection first. If you haven’t seen these yet, they will probably be on counters soon.
I knew I had to get all three Le Vernis shades even before I saw them in person. Amy from Café Makeup did an amazing preview of the glosses which helped me tremendously. While I was in San Francisco I went to Saks to see the whole set in person, bought a new rouge allure and another set of all three Le Vernis shades for my sister (she immediately applied Rose Insolent on her toes). My personal three favorites in the collection are of the same color theme. Each have similar names (which can be a bit confusing) and all are soft but noticeable pinks:
Rouge Allure Extrait de Gloss in Confidence #55 Rouge Allure in Confidentielle #66 Le Vernis in Rose Confidentiel #491
What I love about these pinks is that they are natural but with a slight kick. They aren’t your barely-there pinks. They have just the right amount of pigment, brightness and depth to be noticeable when applied yet are natural enough that you don’t have to worry about it being too bright. I do find that the lipgloss and lipstick brighten the face (read on below for more info).
The Rouge Allure Extrait de Gloss in Confidence is a semi-sheer, semi-bright and semi-natural pink gloss with a slight iridescence. I find it applies with enough pigment to wear by itself even even though it’s slightly sheer. The Rouge Allure Extrait de Gloss is a new gloss formula with a similar packaging to the Rouge Allure Laques. The difference is that the RAEs have longer tubes, a sheerer and glossier finish and a new wedged shaped applicator. I would describe the pigment as being in between a glossimer and rouge allure laque. These are on the thick side, not exactly sticky but not slippery either – somewhere in between. I’m not a fan of the new applicator – I find the shape difficult to use as it is more flexible requiring more pressure to apply. Also applying straight from the tube will result in getting the tip discolored if you apply over a lipstick. I find it best to apply on the back of my hand and then apply the product on the lips with a brush. I will need to do more experimenting with these. I do like the finish but it feels a bit thick. I’m normally a lipgloss girl, but these days I feel more and more like just wearing a lipstick + liner without the gloss.
Applying to the bottom lip (so you can see the contrast between my natural lip color and the color of the gloss):
The Rouge Allure in Confidentielle is also a natural but brighter pink. It goes well with the gloss. It’s definitely brighter than what I normally wear. Creamy and smooth like all the Rouge Allure lipsticks with full coverage. Those wondering how it compares to other shades, I found it to be in between Rouge Coco in Gardenia and Legende. If you didn’t like Gardenia because of the shimmer or don’t like Legende because you found it too cool or if you don’t like the Rouge Coco formula, Confidentielle is the solution for you. Here it is swatched on my lips but blended with a lip brush for a softer finish.
* Note – I realize my lip swatch photos are odd because I always manage to angle the camera in a way that focuses on my hair rather than my lips, also my hair is black except when the sunlight shines on it (directly or indirectly) which is why you see the red in some shots. These are definitely a work in progress.
Note, these may all look the same on your screen. Legende is a mini sample that I have and the most blue-toned. I found it too cool for me and have not purchased it. Gardenia is more frosty. Confidentielle is in between the shades and the most creamy.
The Gloss in Confidence over the Lipstick in Confidentielle: Layering the two gets you a rich and luscious lip look. Almost too luscious for my taste. Perhaps more suitable for a date night. The result with both is really glossy and opaque. Right now I like these with only 1 applied at a time, although experimenting with less gloss will probably work better for me.
One more view:
The new Le Vernis in Rose Confidentiel is another gorgeous classic rose pink shade. Smooth and rich in pigment, this applies very well with 2 coats. I wouldn’t say it matches Confidence and Confidentielle exactly, but it does go well with the colors. Compared to the lips, I would say the nail polish is less bright, a bit deeper, and more of a classic dusty rose. Great for fall and perfect for year round. I’ve reviewed it in my Rouge Fatal, Rose Insolent & Rose Confidentiel post here. I’ve also compared it to a couple other shades in my Chanel Les Khakis de Chanel post here. Here it is on a pedi, 2 coats.
One last view:
Hope everyone is enjoying the last bits of their weekend!
