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Lipstick

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Dior Addict Fluid Sticks

October 12, 2015

I’ve been a long time fan of the Dior Addict Fluid Sticks ($35 each for 5.5 ml/0.18 fl oz, made in France) since they launched in spring 2014. These are incredible lipstick/lipgloss hybrids that glide on the lips with full smooth coverage and the most beautiful shine. There have been several new color additions to the formula over summer and fall. I’ve been sitting on some new purchases for a while now. I photographed them months ago and they’ve been sitting in a folder waiting to be edited. Some are listed as limited-edition so I thought I’d swatch and review them so you don’t miss out in case these didn’t make your beauty radar.
If you’re not familiar with the Dior Addict Fluid Sticks I highly recommend you check at least one out. These come in a cute chic silver and clear colored tubes with an angled sponge tip applicator. The sponge is perfectly shaped to get a precise line around the edge of your lip and also wide at the base to cover the lips perfectly. You have to try it in person to appreciate how well designed it is. These are fluid in texture and glide on the lips perfectly. The colors blend out to cover the entire lip with rich pigment but there is a very slight transparent quality so you can see a tiny bit of your natural lip underneath. Swatches of my picks from the initial launch here and here.

Onto the new colors I picked up. Unfortunately one you cannot find in the US – I picked one up in Paris at Sephora, but I will swatch a few other colors to try and dupe it below.

  • Beige Passion (summer 2015, Europe) is a perfect your lips but better natural pink beige. I wish it was available in the US but unfortunately it was never released here. On my lips it’s a very natural color. I like that it’s not too pale so it doesn’t wash me out.
  • Ciel Rose (summer 2015) is a medium rose pink. It’s bright but has a somewhat muted brightness to it which makes it conservative but not boring. It’s the perfect in between of warm and cool which I think will make it a universally flattering color.
  • Tropiques (summer 2015) is similar to Ciel Rose, but it’s brighter and more vibrant. Even though fall is here and plums are in, I still love a good coral pink year round. It brightens the complexion and face and gives a healthy flushed look.
  • Versatile (fall 2015) is a cool pink which I knew would be either hit or miss. In the tube it looked like it might be too cool-toned but it’s actually really perfect. On my hand and arms it pulls a lot of blue so I was surprised that it was very wearable (blue-based pinks often look purplish or too mod on my skintone). If you are looking for a pretty cool pink, this one is really gorgeous.
  • Avant-Garde (fall 2015) is a mauve-nude pink which is a your lips but slightly deeper and more mauve. It’s a pink nude in the tube and swatched on the arm. On my lips it pulls deeper and more cool-toned. Your mileage may vary on the color depending on your skintone. I think it’s an amazing mauve nude – but it will probably look very different on you than it does on me.

Lip swatches:

Swatch comparisons below, note that Frisson has been discontinued and Tiny Pink is a Sephora Exclusive color.

One last shot of the colors below:
Overall a huge thumbs up. I am completely obsessed with these. They are lush liquid lipstick glosses and the formula is amazing. I like that they last a long time on my lips and don’t slide off but still have that gorgeous shine to them. There is a slight perfumed scent to them that is hard to describe but I find it very soothing and refreshing at the same time. The scent does fade after a few minutes.

If you’re in France, Beige Passion is still listed as being in stock online at Sephora France. The other colors are still available at most places online although I haven’t checked in store. They have been out for quite a while now. I don’t usually like to backup lipglosses but I do think Versatile is back-up worthy, it’s the perfect pink I’ve been looking for that is cool-toned but still wearable.

You can find the Dior Addict Fluid Sticks at all Dior counters. Online at Nordstrom, Sephora, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdale’s, Dior.com and all other Dior retailers.

Have you tried any of the newer Dior Addict Fluid Sticks? Which colors are your favorites?
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A Few New MAC Additions: MACnificent Me! Eyeshadow Palette, Patentpolish Lip Pencils and Pro Longwear Lip Pencils

September 29, 2015

It’s been a while since I’ve done a MAC haul – I’m usually not on top of my game with new collection launches, so many times everything sells out literally in the blink of an eye. This time I was on top of my e-mails and ordered a few items from the new MACnificent Me! Collection right when it launched (it launches in stores this Thursday). Also I picked up some of the Pro Longwear Lip Pencils from my local MAC store so I thought I’d do a roundup of my recent MAC acquisitions.

First up is the MACnificent Me! Eyeshadow Palette ($40 for 9 mini eyeshadows). I have a couple other x9 eyeshadow palettes in Amber and Burgundy – they are on the small side but are super cute and nice to bring along for travel if you’re super tight on space. The colors in the MACnificent Me! palette make up the perfect neutral-cool-soft rose-nude-plum mix and the texture/pigment far exceeds the other two. The pans are very tiny – I prefer the full size pans, but the pigment in this one is really good.

Top Row: MACnificent Me! (f), Quiet Type (f), Dance in the Dark (m)
Middle Row: Fabulous DNA (f), Pleasing to the Eye (m), Sable (f)
Bottom Row: Frankly Frosty (m), In my Element (l), Cool Complement (m)

A quick look at the Burgundy and Amber next to the MACnificent Me! for comparison purposes:

Next up are the Patentpolish Lip Pencils ($20 each) from the MACnificent Me collection. I tried a few of these from the MAC Kelly Osborne Collection (from summer 2014). I ordered mine sight unseen as they looked like the perfect neutrals. I knew there might be a chance one or two of them would be too pale but I didn’t want to miss out, so I ordered 4. These are indeed on the lighter side, but 3 of the 4 worked. These are super glossy chubby pencils. Lasting power is medium – better than the MAC lustre lipstick formula, but not as long as the matte formula. I like that they twist up so there’s no sharpening required.
  • Make Me Proud is the perfect baby rose pink cream
  • My Flip Side is a really good nude brown color that doesn’t make me look like a corpse
  • It’s Really Me is a peach pink nude, on me it turns slightly pinkish, it’s a gorgeous nude
  • Pleasure’s All Mine is a weird super pale pink, in the heat of the sun, these started to melt a tiny bit when I was photographing it, this one turned a lighter color on the outside, on the lips, it’s like concealer but worse

Last but not least is my first look at the Pro Longwear Lip Pencils ($20 each). I picked up three neutrals in the store – I should have been more discerning and picked up colors that were more different but I had my hand covered in at least 20 pencil marks. These lip liners are seriously long-lasting. They stay put on the lips for like forever. I was hoping to do lip swatches with my lips lined and filled in – but the formula does not look good on my lips all over. It’s too thick and the pigment is super rich so it makes my lips look super dry. As a traditional lipliner though these are really good. There are a lot of good colors to choose from.
  • Cultured is the lightest one, it’s a neutral pink mauve with a hint of pearl (it goes perfectly with Chanel Wild Rose Glossimer and makes it look really good)
  • Staunchly Stylish is a deeper pink
  • Double-Time is the perfect cafe brown pink neutral 

My MAC lip picks swatched side by side:

I’m really pleased with everything with the exception of Patentpolish in Pleasure’s All Mine although I knew there was a chance at least one of the pencils would be too pale for my skintone. The MACnificent Me! eyeshadow palette is a real winner in the collection – it’s the perfect rosy-toned neutral palette for fall I think will suit a number of skintones. Be sure to visit the MACnificent Me section of MAC’s site to see the beautiful before and after photos transformations with the different beauty looks.
At this time, I believe all the items I featured are limited-edition MAC colors (except Staunchly Stylish). You can find the items in stores and counters right now. Online at Nordstrom, Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s and MAC.

Did you pick up anything from the MACnificent Me collection? Or have you picked up anything from the regular line recently?

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Bold Lips with Buxom

September 24, 2015

This fall Buxom launched a new lipstick formula called Big & Sexy Bold Gel Lipstick ($22 each for 2.8 g / 0.09 oz, exclusive to Sephora). These are described as vividly bold moisturizing lip colors that come in a unique gel-like formula. The texture is lightweight like a gel, but super creamy and they are so pigmented they cover the entire lip with one swipe. There are 30 shades total and they come in two finishes: satin and matte. I’m excited to share that I’ve teamed up with Buxom to share a couple of looks and swatches of all the colors.

The lipsticks come cased in an ultra modern black magnetic tube with the Buxom name embossed on the side. The Satin Formula comes in a glossy black lacquered tube while the Matte Formula comes in a black brushed matte finish tube. Color below is my favorite out of the entire collection called Coral Confession. The lipstick bullets fill up the tube entirely to the sides, I find the packaging sturdy and they look really sleek. Caps are magnetic.

The color selection is quite impressive. There are a lot of colors to
choose from in both textures ranging from light pinks, neutral roses,
soft beiges, bright reds, deep plums and corals. Both formulas are really good in terms of pigment. The Satin Finish colors have a creamier feel with a slight sheen that gives the lips a glossy lush look. The Matte Finish colors have a lightweight texture that glides on the lips. They are mattes with dimension though and are pretty moisturizing for a matte finish lipstick. The gel lipsticks do have a medium to strong vanilla scent, but it’s not overly sweet. Lasting power of both is quite good. I find the mattes last really long on me, about 4 hours without fading (transfer does happen when I drink coffee or tea). The satins last pretty long as well for a lipstick with a glossy sheen, about 3 hours without fading (more transfer happens to cups or bottles.)

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Satin Row 1: Nude Exposure, Rebel Rose, Sultry Mauve, Guilty Angel, Poison Nectar
Satin Row 2: Shameless Magenta, Graphic Grape, Pink Coquette, Coral Confession, Rogue Red
Satin Row 3: Extreme Heat, Fuchsia Fetish, Wicked Pink, Forbidden Berry, Burning Desire
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Matte Row 1: Uncensored Candy, Naturally Daring, Defiant Bloom, Sinful Cinnamon
Matte Row 2: Classified Crimson, Vampy Plum, Voodoo Spice, Pink Decoy, Ultraviolet
Matte Row 3: Evocative Petal, Wildfire, Ruby Temptress, Red Inferno, Toxic Cherry
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Here are two looks with Coral Confession (bright peachy coral satin) and Red Inferno (blue-based matte). I’m wearing the same base of makeup in both photos. I was really impressed with how the look was transformed entirely with just the lip color.

Same colors are featured in both looks above except the lip color, left photo features Coral Confession, right photo features Red Inferno:
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For swatches, to keep things simple, I split all 30 shades by color family. I had several favorites in each formula – there are lots of options to suit everyone’s personal taste. There are 15 matte colors and 15 satin shades. Up first are the pinks:

Wicked Pink (satin) is a cool toned glossy pink
Uncensored Candy (matte) is a baby pink matte
Defiant Bloom (matte) is a blue-based cool tone deep pink
Pink Coquette (satin) is the perfect glossy baby pink
Pink Decoy (matte) is a matte hot warm pink
Fuchsia Fetish (satin) is fuchsia perfection
Forbidden Berry (satin) is a deep berry red

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Next are the bold reds. Many reds turn fuchsia or bright pink on me. The ones from Buxom are true reds that don’t turn color. They are extremely saturated in color and have slightly different undertones. There’s bound to be one that will suit your preferences.

Extreme Heat (satin) is a glossy red
Wildfire (matte) is a deep orange red
Rogue Red (satin) is a glossy bright orange
Toxic Cherry (matte) is a blue-based red
Classified Crimson (matte) is the deepest red option in the lineup
Burning Desire (satin) is a true red
Red Inferno (matte) is a pink-toned red

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My favorite lipstick category, the neutrals. I love a good neutral lip and there are tons to pick from in this lineup. My lips are ultra pigmented so some of the lighter colors contrast with my natural lip tone. A lot of these are deep enough and wearable for my pigmented lips. With some of these, I found the True Nude Lip Foundation in Naked (clear) to be a lifesaver in helping smooth out my natural lip and prep it for even application.

Naturally Daring (matte) is a matte light pink beige
Guilty Angel (satin) is a light neutral-warm pink beige
Racy Reveal (matte) is a warm medium toned peachy pink
Rebel Rose (satin) is a perfect mauve rose pink
Sinful Cinnamon (matte) is a brown-nude rose
Evocative Petal (matte) is a brighter warm pink rose neutral
Nude Exposure (satin) is a light beige cream
Poison Nectar (satin) is a pink nude cream
Coral Confession (satin) is a coral peach

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Last but not least, the darker and dramatic colors. These are super bold colors that fall into the purple and plum lip color category. There’s a good mix of satin and matte finishes.

Sultry Mauve (satin) is the perfect neutral mauve
Voodoo Spice (matte) is a deep plum with reddish tones
Ruby Temptress (matte) is a bright but deep dramatic red
Ultra Violet (matte) is an electric violet lilac purple
Shameless Magenta (satin) is a super bright magenta
Graphic Grape (satin) is a bold purple
Vampy Plum (matte) is a dark vamp

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In summary, lots to love with the Buxom Big & Sexy Bold Gel Lipstick formula. I’m really impressed especially with the price tag which makes these affordable. My top five favorites: Rebel Rose, Pink Coquette, Forbidden Berry, Coral Confession, Red Inferno.

Have you tried the lip gels from Buxom yet? If so what colors? I’m so impressed with the texture of the shadows and am completely obsessed with the Customizable Eyeshadow Palette Bar. They have pre-made palettes, but I love how you can build your own. I highly recommend looking into it when you get a chance. I plan on making another one with more shades very soon.

You can find the Buxom Big and Sexy Bold Gel Lipsticks for $22 each, exclusively in store and online at Sephora.

Created in partnership with Buxom. Many thanks to Buxom for sponsoring this post.

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Charlotte Tilbury Lips

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Luminous Modern-Matte Lipsticks

September 18, 2015

 

Charlotte Tilbury finally launched her Matte Revolution Luminous Modern-Matte Lipsticks ($32 each) in the US. If you’re a Charlotte Tilbury fan like me, you’ve probably been waiting for these for what seems like forever. There are 10 shades of matte lipstick – these are truly phenomenal in terms of the formula and pigment. If you’re a regular reader of The Beauty Look Book, you know I’m not a fan of matte lipsticks in general. I find them drying and thick in texture. They often darken on my skin/lips and also emphasize lip lines in the worst way. There are a few exceptions and Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution is one of them.

 

There are 10 luminous modern-matte hues inspired by various famous women. I have swatches of all 10 shades and a review of 5 in more detail. The colors and inspiration according to Charlotte Tilbury:
  • Amazing Grace is inspired by Grace Kelly, a vintage tea rose for pretty, polished perfection a la Nicole Kidman and Miranda Kerr
  • Love Liberty is inspired by Liberty Ross, a wild rose-flush for wildly glamorous nights a la Jerry Hall and Uma Thurman
  • Bond Girl is a chic natural berry for sultry and alluring beauties from Halle Berry and Barbara Bach to Olga Kurylenko
  • Lost Cherry is a pop of pastel fuchsia for a fresh and effortlessly gorgeous look, perfect for Kate Bosworth, Felicity Jones or Cara Delevingne
  • Glastonberry is a sheer blackcurrant hue is for sex kittens and rock n’ rollers like Rihanna, Grace Jones and Rita Ora
  • Walk of Shame is a beautiful, berry tinted rose for antique chic, perfect for Christina Hendricks and Margot Robbie
  • Very Victoria is inspired by Victoria Beckham, a suede, taupe nude for those who buck the trend like Brigitte Bardot
  • Birkin Brown is inspired by the icon, a timelessly elegant soft chocolate cream for Naomi Campbell and Jane Birkin
  • Red Carpet Red is a true ruby red to bestow Hollywood style wow-factor – think Scarlett Johansson, Marilyn Monroe and Michelle Williams
  • Sexy Sienna is inspired by Sienna Miller, a golden coral to partner with sun-kissed skin, think Gisele and Veruschka

 

For quick reference, there are also two additional colors in the Matte Revolution formula that were part of the Charlotte Tilbury x Norman Parkinson collection: Miss Kensington and 1975 Red are reviewed and swatched here. The five colors I have to share from the Matte Revolution collection launch include Very Victoria, Walk of Shame, Bond Girl, Sexy Sienna and Love Liberty.

 

 

 

 

Thoughts and lip swatches below. For all the colors I find they transform into different colors on the lips compared to what you see in the tube. This usually happens with all matte lipsticks on me in general – there’s something about the rich pigment in the lipstick and my pigmented lips that causes a color shift.
Very Victoria is a brown tan nude in the tube, on my lips and skin it pulls more pinkish/nude. There is a very slight hint of shimmer in the color but it’s more cream-looking on the lips.

 

Walk of Shame is a brick red berry color, it pulls warm on me, almost reddish. It looks brighter on my lips compared to what I see in the tube.

 

 

Bond Girl is my favorite. It’s a muted mauve pink brown color. It has a lot of color and is darker than what I’m used to (there is a lot of brown undertone) but it will be perfect for fall as a color that’s deeper than neutrals, but not as dark as vamps.

 

Sexy Sienna is the color I was most excited about. It’s a stunning coral that’s bright but natural. On my lips it was a bit of a let-down. It clashes with my skin and looks a bit harsh. I think I can make it work better for me by toning it down with a lighter gloss.

 

Love Liberty is a stunning berry. It’s a plum color in the tube but on my lips it’s more reddish in color.

 

All the lipsticks have a nourishing formula. The combination of matte and luminous seems impossible to have in one lipstick, but Charlotte Tilbury has managed to make a luminous matte. These have a smooth texture that’s easy to layer for pigment. With one swipe these are fairly pigmented and easy to blend. They don’t emphasize lip lines and don’t dry out my lips. When I do lip swatches I usually have to spread out the swatching over a couple of days because the rubbing and makeup removing is pretty harsh on my lips. These are so nourishing I was able to swatch them all in one day and when I was finished, my lips were still in very good shape.

 

 

Lasting power is really really good. I found by hour 5 of wear the color was still in tact without any fading. There is color transfer to cups if you drink coffee, tea, water, juice etc. but the color still stays on the lips really well. The lipsticks do have a vanilla scent but it’s not too sweet and disappears after a few minutes.

 

Overall I give these a huge thumbs up. The colors options in general are on the dark side – much darker than I’m used to wearing for everyday. If you’re a fan of neutral lips you will probably find all of these too dark or pigmented. I’d recommend you check out the new Buxom Big and Sexy Bold Gel Lip Colors, there are lots of neutrals in the matte formula (I’ll have a post next week on these). If you’re one who likes color and are looking for a long-wearing matte that’s nourishing, these are among the best mattes I’ve tried. Other favorites for formula include the Tom Ford Lip Mattes although the colors are limited (my favorite color is First Time) and the Rouge Louboutin in Velvet Matte.
If you like lighter colors, you will also find more options in the regular K.I.S.S.I.N.G lip color formula. The two formulas are very different in terms of texture, finish and color selection. (Swatches of Penelope Pink, Bitch Perfect, Confession, Stoned Rose, Nude Kate and Hepburn Honey here.) The K.I.S.S.I.N.G Lipsticks are creamier in texture with a thicker feel. The Matte Revolution by comparison glides on the lips easier and feels weightless. Lasting power of both formulas is very good. I have a slight preference for the feel of the matte, but like the finished look of the regular formula.
You can find the Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipsticks at counters now priced at $32 each. Online at Beautylish (they have lip swatches on fair and deep skins), Nordstrom, Net-A-Porter, Bergdorf Goodman and Charlotte Tilbury. If you want to go all out, you can splurge on 10 of the shades in the Luxury Lipstick Wardrobe for $305.
Have you tried these lipsticks yet? If so, what colors?
The 5 Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution lipsticks featured in this post were provided as samples for review consideration.
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Lips Tom Ford Beauty

New Tom Ford Lip Colors for Fall 2015

September 11, 2015

 

Tom Ford added 16 new Lip Colors to his permanent beauty lineup. He launched three shades that were previously Asia Exclusives and also launched eight lipsticks in full-size form that were formerly in the small Lips & Boys size. I ordered several a few weeks ago – I’m a huge fan of Tom Ford Lipsticks (all his formulas) even though these come with a high price tag of $52 each, the formula is rich, creamy, pigmented, non-irritating and non-drying (they made it into my top three picks of favorite lipsticks). I have a review of 6 shades I picked out plus swatches of 15 of the 16 colors that I swatched at the counter (I missed one that I couldn’t locate at the counter). The new colors that just launched include:

 

  • Bare Peach is a medium peach silver shimmer
  • Casino (formerly Blake from Lips & Boys) is a metallic plum-brown with gold frost
  • Dark & Stormy (formerly Pavlos from Lips & Boys) is a dark brown with a hint of red
  • Flash of Pink (formerly John from Lips & Boys) is the color I couldn’t locate at the counter
  • Guilty Pleasure (formerly William from Lips & Boys) is a warm metallic peach gold
  • Lilac Nymph is a cool-toned lilac cream
  • Misbehaved is a medium peach cream
  • Naked Coral is a shimmering soft coral
  • Seventh Sin is a metallic copper gold
  • Showgirl (formerly Francesco from Lips & Boys) is a vibrant hot pink cream
  • So Vain is a mauve plum with a slight hint of gold shimmer
  • Something Wild is a medium warm hot pink
  • Sunset Boulevard (formerly Tomas from Lips & Boys) is a hot orange cream
  • Sweet Mystery (formerly Peter from Lips & Boys) is a shimmering champagne nude
  • Virgin Rose is a cool-toned baby pink
The colors I picked out are all neutrals of course. When I bought mine I ordered sight unseen and I did not know that some were repromotes of Lips & Boys. After seeing the other colors at the counter I was tempted by Virgin Rose but suspect it will be too cool-toned for my skin. Casino is gorgeous but looks identical Blake which I already own so I passed.

 

My picks include Naked Coral, Forbidden Pink, Sweet Mystery, Bare Peach, Guilty Pleasure and So Vain. All performed true to what I’m used to with other Tom Ford Lip Colors. They glide on the lips nicely. The shimmering colors are on the frosty side which emphasized lip lines – although I will say that my lips have been a bit dry lately. These days I prep my lips with Charlotte Tilbury Lip Magic or MAC Prep + Prime Lips and let it set for a minute before applying lip color. Both give the lips a nice smooth base with some hydration. They are good bases for lipstick because they have just the right amount of moisture and aren’t too emollient which is a must – otherwise the lip color can tend to slide off.

 

Colors in different lighting, indoors without flash:

 

 

Swatches side by side, note most of the colors I picked had some kind of shimmer in them. Naked Coral, Forbidden Pink and So Vain are the ones with the least shimmer but the formula still has a very slight glossy sheen which makes them glow:

 

 

Close up and lip swatches. On my skin Naked Coral and Forbidden Pink are very close. My lips tend to make anything with a slightly bright base turn a bit so you will probably see more of a distinction on your lips versus mine. I have a very slight preference for Forbidden Pink because it has a warm pink base.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I pulled a few other Tom Ford lipsticks to compare and see if a couple were truly dupes of the Lips & Boys. The ones I looked at are 90%+ identical, there are very slight differences. There are still a few of the Lips & Boys available online at Neiman Marcus. Reviews of previous reviews linked below:

 

One last shot of the new colors lined up side by side:

 

I definitely have dupes with Sweet Mystery and Guilty Pleasure. If you have either Peter or William you don’t need the repromotes unless you love it, are running low and want to replenish. Naked Coral and Forbidden Pink are very close on me. I have a slight preference for Forbidden Pink although if you like lighter colors I’d recommend you opt for Naked Coral instead – it has a brighter look. Bare Peach is pure love although the shimmer in it requires lip prep so it doesn’t emphasize lip lines. So Vain is a good cool-toned mauve plum that will be perfect for a fall transition color.
All the new lip colors are supposed to be permanent additions to the Tom Ford Lip Color line. I’m still tempted by Virgin Rose but I know it will almost certainly be too cool in color for my skin. Also with the other lipstick launches from other lines this fall, there are plenty of other colors and formulas to choose from.
The Tom Ford Lip Colors retail for $52 each. Available now at Tom Ford Beauty counters. Online at Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue and Selfridges.

 

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Christian Louboutin

Christian Louboutin Lip Colours: Rouge Louboutin

September 1, 2015

 

Today Christian Louboutin launches 38 shades of Louboutin Lip Colour in three distinct formulas ($90 each). The Lip Colours come cased in the most ornate packaging I’ve ever seen for the lipstick. The design is inspired by Babylonian architecture – it resembles an elixir vial and is capped with a stunning crown. The three different textures include a multitude of colors. Each formula has the red classic Louboutin Rouge color. I have swatches of the three reds to share today. They come with a hefty price tag and I am pleased to report Louboutin has taken lipstick to another level, not just with the packaging, but also with an incredible formula. According to Louboutin these are made in the USA, paraben-ree, mineral oil-free, DEA-free and Phthalate-free. First a look at each of the three formulas and color selection.

 

 

Louboutin Rouge Nail Color featured on the nails in all photos, reviewed + swatched here:
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Silky Satin Lip Colour – 20 shades including Rouge Louboutin 3.8 gr /0.134 Oz
  • Glides on lips with an opulent and sensual feel.
  • A unique blend of ultra-fine colour pigments expresses deep and generous colour with a silky satin finish and soft shine.
  • Medium to full coverage delivered in one stroke with a supple and soft feel on lips.
  • A complex of natural oils and seed butters enhances moisturization for up to 4 hours and creates a protective effect against dryness.
  • Maintains an excellent appearance on lips up to 4 hours without bleeding and with durable comfort.
  • Available in a universal shade palette, ranging from light to deep tones, across mid-tonal and bright hues of pinks to berries, reds and corals, nudes and browns.

 

Velvet Matte Lip Colour – 9 shades including Rouge Louboutin 3.8 gr /0.134 Oz
  • Glides on lips with smooth precision.
  • Intensely rich color goes on with full coverage and sets with a soft touch matte finish.
  • Medium to full coverage delivered in one stroke with a supple and soft feel on lips.
  • A complex of natural oils and seed butters enhances moisturization for up to 4 hours and creates a protective effect against dryness.
  • Maintains an excellent appearance on lips up to 4 hours without bleeding and with durable comfort.

 

 

Sheer Voile Lip Color – 9 shades including Rouge Louboutin 3.5 gr / 0.123 Oz
  • Glides on lips with a creamy smooth nourishing sensation.
  • Impactful colour accents lips natural radiance with a wet luminous shine.
  • A complex of natural oils and seed butters enhances moisturization and creates a protective effect against dryness.

 

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The Louboutin Beaute team was kind enough to send the three Rouge Louboutin colors. I’ve been playing with these for the last month – it was so hard to touch the actual product. They are almost too pretty to use. Each lipstick comes in a hefty case with a cap that has a small loop opening so it can double as a charm. Each color comes individually packaged (search #LouboutinCharme for more photos and uploads from others). Mine came in a stunning black and red box as part of the press sample. The three formulas each have a distinct design for the packaging. The Velvet Mattes have a brushed matte finish on the case, Silky Satins have a glossy finish to the tubes, Sheer Voiles have a patterned weave to the outside.

 

 

 

Swatches below, you can see the difference in texture. For the color in Rouge Louboutin, all three reds are very similar, if not almost identical in color.

 

Closeup to see the texture differences:

 

 

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Thoughts and swatches on my lips from sheer to full coverage. First up in Sheer Voile. I haven’t tried or seen the other colors but the pigment of Rouge Louboutin is very very good. It has a super lush glossy finish that has a slightly transparent look. It is very pigmented on my lips and glides on like a dream. It has a very soft scent that’s hard to describe – it’s like fresh and clean with a very slight powdery touch. The scent is very subtle. I found it extremely hydrating. The product is supposed to last four hours without fading. I was able to test it for 3 hours without having it budge before I had to eat something, it stayed put relatively well through snacks and it did not bleed around the edges. For a red, this is the best sheer red I’ve tried. It’s not too cool, it’s not too warm, and it doesn’t turn fuchsia. My wallet is going to be so broke when this one is used up because I will have to repurchase it.

 

 

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Silky Satin is the classic formula, it comes in 20 different shades. At $90 a tube the lipstick costs an arm and a leg. I already cry everytime Tom Ford launches new lipsticks because they break the bank. I’m of the mindset that no matter how good a lipstick is, a lipstick is still just a lipstick. Still I will splurge on Tom Ford and after testing Louboutin I am beyond amazed that they have truly taken lipstick to another level. The Silky Satin is out of this world. It lasted a full five hours on me without bleeding, fading or budging. It did transfer to a soda can, but the color lasted through 2 Diet Dr. Pepper cans and a 4 Oreos without fading at all. The color is super hydrating and lush. It has full opaque coverage with a very slightly glossy sheen. It makes the lips look lush because the pigment is so rich.

 

 

 

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Last but not least is Velvet Matte. I try to stay away from matte finish lipsticks because they often leave my lips looking dry and emphasize lip lines. There are few exceptions (Tom Ford Lip Color Matte is one formula I really like). The Louboutin Rouge Velvet Matte is amazingly exceptional. It offers full opaque coverage. It does have a slightly drier texture compared to the other two formulas. It sticks to the lips and stays put without budging. As with most rich reds this requires precise application. I usually like sheers or glossy formulas because they are more forgiving – for mattes like this one if you don’t cover the entire lip evenly it shows. This one takes more care to apply, but it’s the same as with any dark or bright lip color. Even though it’s matte it’s non drying. It has a distinct matte finish but still manages to have a glow to it.

 

 

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After playing these for a few weeks now I am surprised to report that I am truly impressed. I still think lipstick is simply lipstick and I thought there was no way lipstick could get better than it already is. The $90 price tag is really hard to swallow, but somehow Christian Louboutin has managed to take lip colors to another level with the formula. If you can budget for one it’s totally worth splurging on. It is a luxurious item that is very nice to have. I’ve already started budgeting to splurge on a few colors I have my eye on and my wallet is crying a flood of tears right now because these will break the bank.
All 38 colors officially launched at stores and online today. I can’t wait to see the entire range in person soon. You can find them online at Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, Nordstrom, Sephora and Christian Louboutin. (There are also new Lip Liners that have launched with the collection.)
Have you checked out the Louboutin Lip Colours yet? If yes what did you think? If not yet have you ordered any yet! Let me know so I can live vicariously through you!

 

Many thanks to Louboutin for sending the Rouge Louboutin Lip Colours for review.

 

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Chanel Fall 2015 Rouge Allure and Rouge Coco Shines

August 31, 2015

For fall Chanel has four new lipsticks in their Collection Les Automnales release. I picked up two of the Rouge Coco Shines ($36 each) in Mélancolie and Téméraire along with one Rouge Allure ($36) in Pensive. I’m usually super excited about the new lip releases from Chanel. Their lipstick formulas usually perform really well for me and I love the colors. This fall, the items fall a bit short of my expectations.

The three colors I picked out at the counter:

  • Rouge Coco Shine in Mélancolie is a sheer glossy warm brownish nude with shimmer, this goes on beautifully if swatched on the hands, on my pigmented lips it looks very nude and natural, it almost disappears because of the way it matches my lip tone, it’s so so pretty in the tube, on me it’s almost invisible, I suspect if you have less pigment in your lips it will show up better
  • Rouge Coco Shine in Téméraire is a pigmented deeper red with shimmer, this one has phenomenal coverage and pigment, if you’re like me, most reddish lip colors can turn orange or fuchsia on the lips no matter what the base color is, this one surprisingly does not turn fuchsia and stays true to what you see in the tube
  • Rouge Allure in Pensive is a sheer nude that is applies unevenly and blotchy, it’s almost identical in color to the Reveuse Rouge Coco Shine, but the Rouge Coco Shine has a much better formula and coverage, it photographs well, but in real life it looks really uneven, I’ve tried desperately to make it work because it swatches so pretty on the arm and looks like nude perfection in the tubes, but it’s really not worth the price given the sheerness

Swatches below:

Some swatched comparisons:

One last shot:

Overall beautiful in the tubes, but they aren’t must-haves for me. I do like the way Téméraire looks and how pigmented it is although it has a lot more color in it than I’m used to. It’s definitely not an everyday kind of lip color unless you are used to wearing reds. Mélancolie is such a stunning shade in the tube and on my hand, on my me it seems to have decent coverage but it disappears on my pigmented lips. Pensive is something I would say skip – there are much better nudes out there from other lines that have better pigment, coverage and texture. If you’re in the market for new lipsticks to splurge on I would say save for Louboutin, Tom Ford or the Burberry Kisses. Or wait for Chanel Holiday.
Did you check out the fall selection for lips? What did you think?
All the new lip colors in the fall collection are listed as permanent. They are available at counters now. Online at Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Chanel.com and all other Chanel retailers.
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