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Giorgio Armani Rouge Ecstasy – Heat #304

September 16, 2013

Armani has released a new formula of lipstick called Rouge Ecstasy ($34 each for 4.2 ml/4g). There are 36 different shades encased in a drop-dead gorgeous bright red magnetic-capped tube. I was drawn to all the peaches the first time I tested these. The first color I picked up was Heat #304 a bright coral-pink. The Rouge Ecstasy lipsticks are thick in texture with a slight tacky feel when you apply. They don’t glide on easily but they don’t really tug at the lips either. The texture makes the color adhere well to the lips helping it last longer than most Armani lipsticks. The color is easily layerable. Swipe the tubes on the lips a few times, allow to sit and then press the lips together to blend the color and the lipstick then feels weightless but moist. There is a very soft lipstick rose scent – it’s not noticeable when you apply though.
Heat #304 is a bright coral-pink. There is a slight transparent quality since there is a glossy finish to the shade. There is a bit of shimmer in the tube which is on the subtle side. It’s noticeable but very very subtle. It adds dimension and brightens the color. I love how you can adjust the look with the color. One even swipe gives a healthy glow. Multiple swipes brightens the color to a vibrant coral.

Here it is swatched, on the lips it pulls more pink on me:

For lips I have tons of nudes and peaches. Often times corals and peaches look the same in the tubes or swatched but apply differently on the lips depending on undertone, pigment and shimmer. I found Heat #304 most similar to Chanel Mystique. I prefer the Armani since it’s not quite as dry and appears a bit more natural on the lips due to the subtle sheen. More comparisons below to NARS Lodhi, Tom Ford Insidious (swatched here), YSL Rouge Volupte #30, MAC Coral Bliss, Chanel Mystique (reviewed here), Chanel Flirt (reviewed here) and Edward Bess Forbidden Flower.

I’m overall very pleased with Heat #304. I just picked up a few more of the nudes which I’ll be testing this week. The Armani Rouge Ecstasy Lipsticks have a very nice moist feel on the lips without being too moist. I like that the texture is thick but still a bit shiny. The lasting power is quite good considering most of my other Armani lipsticks tend to fade quickly due to the sheerness. All Armani counters should have received the testers and product for sale. I found mine at Neiman Marcus. You can also find them online now at Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus and GiorgioArmaniBeauty-USA.com.

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Chanel Fall 2013 Rouge Coco Shine and Rouge Coco: Instinct, Secret, Icône and Mystique

July 1, 2013
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This fall Chanel has released four new Rouge Coco Shines ($34 each) and two new Rouge Coco Hydrating Crème Lip Colors (also $34 each).

There are two pale neutral colors and two bright cool-toned pinks for the Rouge Coco Shines:

  • Instinct is a pale cool-pink with subtle shimmer
  • Secret is a a pale peachy-pink
  • Rendezvous is a bright pink
  • Espirit is a fuschia berry

The two new Rouge Coco Hydrating Crème Lip Colors are on the warmer/neutral side:

  • Icône is a shimmery golden nude
  • Mystique is a semi-bright apricot peach
I was drawn to the brighter pinks for this collection but they turned out to be a bit too cool-toned for my complexion. I decided to stick with the four neutral colors. The Rouge Coco Shines are both gorgeous in the tubes, however they end up looking fairly similar on my lips. They do show up on me even though they are very sheer. I prefer the warmer one Secret because it’s not quite as pale as Instinct is on me (which I think makes me look slightly washed out). The Rouge Cocos are the highlights in my mind for any neutral lip lover. Icône is the perfect golden nude on me. The pigment is amazing on this one and I love that it doesn’t wash out my complexion like some pale golden nudes can. Mystique is a lovely bright apricot. You do need to have smooth lips for this one, if you have any dry patches or flakes this color will emphasize any flaws (prep your lips before-hand, I recommend Jo Malone’s Vitamin E Lip Balm or Hourglass Lip Oil).

Close ups of the each of the shades plus lip swatches. For skin-tone reference, I’m wearing NARS Light Optimizing Primer, Edward Bess Black Sea Mousse Foundation in Light (reviewed here) and NARS Light Reflecting Loose Powder. I think this is one of the first times I’ve photographed myself wearing the reflecting powder, I’m surprised how it makes the skin glow in pictures. It seems to give a photo-shopped look and hides imperfections.

For comparisons, similarities to other shades will depend on your natural lip color and skintone. For the Rouge Coco Shines, I found Evasion to be very similar to Secret. I couldn’t find another Chanel Lip Color similar to Instinct, but I know I have some sheer MAC and Armani lipsticks that give the same effect.

Rouge Coco Shine comparisons to Boy, Effrontee, Evasion and Interlude:

I couldn’t find a dupe for the Rouge Cocos, perhaps you will be able to find color similar in your stash. Most of my Chanel nudes proved to be more pink or mauve than Icône. I couldn’t find anything quite as bright as Mystique, although I’ve historically avoided brighter corals.

Rouge Coco comparisons to Jersey Rose, Peregrina, Stunning and Avante Garde:

Overall, I could have passed on both the Rouge Coco Shines. I keep forgetting they cost the same as other Chanel lipsticks even though they are smaller in size. Both shades look very similar on me and seem to be very slight variations of past colors. Still, I like Rouge Coco Shines for their easy goof-proof swipe-and-go application. The shades fade nicely so you don’t have obvious lipstick lines around the edges of your lips. The Rouge Cocos are both loves for me.

By now the fall collection should have arrived at your local counters and boutiques. It’s still trickling in online, I haven’t been able to find the entire collection at any one place online, but I suspect everything will be stocked very soon. For now you can find the lip products here:

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Dior Diablotine 643 Addict Lipstick and Lipgloss

April 6, 2013
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After playing around on the Dior Addict Minisite, I went back to Nordstrom and picked up Dior Diablotine 643 in the Addict Lipstick ($31) and Lipgloss ($29.50) formula to match the Nail Lacquer ($24) (reviewed last month here). The looks from Dior showed that using both the lipstick and lipgloss created a lush lip look that is perfect for spring to summer. Being the coral fanatic that I am, I didn’t need to see them in person to know they were must-haves. (Click photo below to go to Dior’s Addict minisite.)

The Dior Diablotine 643 lip options are similar to that of Spring Ball 343 in the sense that both lip colors are more subtle and soft than the nail polish versions. Diablotine Addict Lipstick and Lipgloss do have more color than Spring Ball so they show up better on my lips, but are still natural enough for my neutral-loving self.
Diablotine 643 Addict Lipstick is a coral in the tube but goes on more pinkish on my lips. The texture is smooth, finish is semi-shiny, pigment is medium but slightly transparent. There is subtle shimmer in the tube but you don’t really see it on the lips. Diablotine 643 Addict Lipgloss is a true coral peach loaded with tons of gold shimmer. It’s a high-shine gloss. It’s gorgeous. The gloss is similar to Chanel Nakkar so you probably don’t need both. The Dior is more sparkly and more red/orange.


Lip comparisons:

Lips and nails side by side:

I love both the lipstick and gloss formulas of Dior Diablotine #643 (along with the nail polish). The formulas feel luxurious on the lips. They have a nice moisturizing feel. I purchased mine from Nordstrom in store. The entire Sparkling Shine is also online at Nordstrom.com and other Dior counters and boutiques.
Have you had a chance to play with the new items from Dior?

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Dior Spring Ball 343 Vernis Nail Lacquer, Addict Lipstick and Addict Gloss

April 4, 2013

Dior’s Sparkling Shine collection brings some beautiful shimmering colors for spring. I fell in love with each of the new nail colors released and loved that Dior also brought us matching lipstick and lipgloss shades. I spent quite a bit of time at Nordstrom swatching and testing. I was particularly smitten with Spring Ball 343 a gorgeous peachy pink shimmer which comes in multiple forms:
  • Nail Lacquer ($24) is the perfect shimmery coral with gold, peach and silver flecks of sparkle infused throughout. I love that this has a hint of pink in it and multi-colored shimmer. This prevents it from looking too orange. The color is highly pigmented but still slightly transparent with two coats. It applied smoothly and flawlessly.
  • Addict Lipstick ($31) is a very natural light sheer peach shimmer. The shimmer is very natural on the lips. The texture is smooth and moisturizing. I couldn’t detect any scent. It matches my natural lip color closely but still has enough pigment to cover the lips fully and smooths them out with a lovely natural sheen. If you’re looking for something with more pigment this one might not be your cup of tea. I think you can get a similar result with something like MAC’s Ramblin Rose. (Note there is an Addict Extreme version of Spring Ball as well, I swiped it briefly, it was brighter and more pigmented without shimmer.)
  • Addict Gloss ($29.50) is also very natural and sheer. Spring Ball 343 gloss gives a high shine with beautiful soft sparkle. Layering this gloss over the lipstick lightens the overall look. I didn’t have time to compare but the gloss reminds me of MAC’s lustreglass in Love Nectar.

Swatches below, the nail polish is more vibrant than the lipstick/gloss, although the gloss and lipstick are lovely I wish they matched the brightness and pigment of the nail polish:

Spring Ball 343 Nail Polish:

Spring Ball 343 Addict Lipstick and Lipgloss:

Overall I’m quite pleased with Dior’s Spring Ball lineup for the Nail Lacquer, Addict Lipgloss and Addict Lipstick. The nail polish is a definitely must-have for me. The lipstick and gloss are not quite as unique compared to other colors and they are borderline too natural. Still these are perfect for lazy makeup days. They make the perfect swipe-and-go duo and are easy to apply or touch up without a mirror. The lipstick feels extremely luxurious and smooth on the lips (very lightweight). I like that the gloss is shiny but not sticky. I purchased all my items at Nordstrom.

Did you pick up any of the nail polishes, new addict lipsticks or glosses? Which is your favorite shade?
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Tom Ford Lip Color Shine: Quiver, Insidious and Frolic

March 27, 2013

Anything Tom Ford releases these days catches my eye immediately. The new semi-transparent Lip Color Shines ($48 each for .12 oz/3.5g at Saks, Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman) released a month ago have been on my radar but the insanely high price tag had me hesitant to buy before trying. Still, after looking at swatches online for hours, I decided to order a few online. I love Tom Ford Lipsticks (swatched here) and Lip Glosses (swatched here) so I figured there was at least one I was bound to fall in love with. I’ve started with Quiver (a pale cool pink), Insidious (a brighter peach), and Frolic (a nude peach).

All the lip shines have a delicious subtle vanilla cake scent (soft, not strong) that lingers for about 20 minutes before fading. The texture of the Tom Ford Lip Color Shines is smooth and creamy, slightly thick, but on the soft side. All the colors I picked have quite a bit of shimmer in the tube, on the lips there is noticeable shimmer, but it’s subtle (not frost). The finish is quite glossy, but the slightly thick texture helps the color adhere to the lips. The colors are on the sheer/natural side but show up.

Close ups and swatches, here you can see the shimmer:

(Sorry for the inconsistent lighting, lip swatches are really difficult for me.) Compared to YSL’s Rouge Volupte Shines and Chanel’s Rouge Coco Shines, I would say Tom Ford’s new sheer lipsticks are definitely similar. The differences:
  • YSL has the most pigment and darker/brighter color range, these glide on the smoothest
  • Chanel has a more diverse color range on the neutrals/roses, colors are slightly sheerer than Tom Ford
  • Tom Ford has the thickest texture, strongest scent and a great neutral range

In terms of lasting power, strongest to weakest is YSL, Tom Ford and then Chanel. However since all are on the sheer/glossy side, the lasting power is still medium like most glossy sheer lipsticks. I’m overall pleased with these, although YSL’s Rouge Volupte Shines win my heart for all over formula, color and price (Tom Fords come in close second).

The price will kill your wallet. For a sheer lipstick, I really expected the price points to be a lot lower. If you’re looking for a similar color to these but want more pigment, here are my suggestions:

  • Tom Ford Quiver – look at Dolce & Gabbana’s Shine lipsticks in Charm, Rosebud, Love or Emotion
  • Tom Ford Insidious – check out Chanel Flirt Rouge Coco Shine or Dior Diablotine
  • Tom Ford Frolic – check out Burberry’s Cameo
I like really these for the quality, feel and natural shine but feel the $48 would be better spent on a regular Tom Ford Lipstick or used towards their blushes. For some reference Karla Sugar and Wondegondigo have all the shades swatched on their blogs.
Did you try or pick up any of the Tom Ford Lip Color Shines? What’s your favorite shade?
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YSL Rouge Volupté Shines

February 15, 2013

YSL’s latest is a new formula of lipstick called Rouge Volupté Shine ($34 each Nordstrom). I ordered mine direct from YSL a few months ago and have fallen head over heels in love with the shades I’ve tried.
  • No 07 Rose Infinite is a natural semi-deep rose plum. It has semi-sheer coverage but you can adjust the intensity. On the lips the intensity of the color increases if you swipe it back and forth 3 times. Applying a similar-toned lip liner first will help the color last.
  • No 08 Pink in Confidence is a soft neutral pink but leans slightly cool on my lips. It has a Chanel Rouge Coco Shine Boy feel in color but the YSL is more pigmented and slightly lighter on me.
  • No 09 Nude in Private is a warm peach. As with all the shades there are subtle sparkles in the tube but on the lips the shimmer and sparkle isn’t very visible.
  • No 11 Beige Instinct is a neutral nude shimmer. In the photo below it looks warm because of the lighting, in real life it’s really more flesh toned.
  • No 15 Corail Intuitive is a shade I picked up at a later date, it’s similar to No 08 Nude in Private but more peach with a brighter look.

Swatched on my arm you can see for a sheer lipstick there is quite a bit of color payoff. Since these are sheer they are still slightly transparent. These have a shiny glossy finish.

Here are swatches in direct sunlight without a flash so you can see the base color better:

I’ve been dragging my feet on reviewing these mainly because of lip swatches. These are difficult for me to capture accurately and it’s hard for me to get consistent lighting but here’s my best attempt. As always note your mileage will vary. I have pigmented lips and olive skin, so these will most likely look different on you.

Right now I’m short on time so I can’t do swatch comparisons to other shades or brands. I would say these are a huge improvement from the Rouge Volupté Perles in texture (less gritty) and formula (smoother) and finish (more natural). These are much easier to apply compared to the original Rouge Volupté formula and the sheer/glossy/shimmer makes it more naturally flattering to the lips. Compared to Chanel Rouge Coco Shines I think these have a similar finish in terms of the shine and gloss but with a bit more pigment (very slight). I haven’t tried other shades like the brights or darks but I can’t wait to experiment.

After searching online it appears most of the shades are online at YSL, but some retailers have select shades (I haven’t confirmed instore though). Nordstrom’s exclusive is No 17 Rose in Tension. Saks’ exclusive is No 18 Prune in Fire. Neiman’s exclusive is No 16 Orange Impertinent.

For quick reference, see a few shades swatched at Best Things in Beauty and all the shades swatched on Kais Obsessions.

Have you tried the Rouge Volupté Shines? What’s your favorite Rouge Volupté formula or color?

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Dark Vampy Lips – Fall/Winter 2012

October 9, 2012

I’ve always been one to wear neutrals, pinks or peaches on the lips. The darkest I tend to go is Clinique Black Honey, MAC “O, or MAC Desire Lipglass. I’m slowly but surely venturing into darker more dramatic colors for makeup. There have been a number of others who have inspired me to try new things 🙂 With a bit of nudging/encouragement from friends and after seeing some lovely swatches on other blogs – these are my new discoveries: perfect vampy lipsticks that are great for fall. I tried to get good lip swatches – unfortunately I failed miserably to get good lip photos. Most of these turned too red with a flash or purple without a flash. I will do my best to supplement with descriptions.
Burberry Lip Mist in Blueberry ($30, found at select Nordstrom and Saks counters) is a sheer glossy red-plum-brown. Out of all the darker colors in the feature this one is the easiest to wear for those scared of dark lips. As others have noted – it’s not really a true blueberry color on the lips. This one is the most forgiving when it comes to fading though. The glossy texture makes it look more natural on the lips and the fading is more subtle than with something that is sharply contrasted to the natural lip tone. I loved it at Cafe Makeup and The Non-Blonde.

Tom Ford Black Orchid ($48, found at select Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, Saks and Nordstrom counters) is pure luxury in a tube. This one is quite dramatic, but it has enough warmth and red/plum in it to not be too dark. I really love Tom Ford’s lipsticks (just not the price). This is a gorgeous dark burgandy wine plum. There is shimmer in the tube but it doesn’t really show up on the lips. I recommend a darker lipliner like Trish McEvoy Iced Nude or Chanel nude to help with the application. Since this one is so dramatic, it does require precise application – blending with a brush over a lipliner will help even out any areas that aren’t 100% accurate. I loved this on Lisa Eldridge (she has a brilliant video) and Buy Now, Blog Later. Also see it on KarlaSugar.

Chanel La Provocante ($32.50, I found mine at Nordstrom Seattle) was part of the twin sets for 2012’s Fashion’s Night Out and sold out almost immediately online. It’s a deep dark purple-red color. On my lips the texture was a bit blotchy and uneven, it took a few swipes back and forth to get even coverage. To me this was the least forgiving in terms of application/fading. It required precise application and it looked  Check with your local Chanel boutiques or studios to see if they still have this one. This one I still haven’t quite mastered yet. It’s the perfect dark vamp – a bit too dark for my taste, I would probably have to lighten it with a touch of gloss to warm it up. See it on Front Row Beauty, Christy-Tb and Indigo Kir Royale.

Dolce & Gabbana Dahlia ($30, at select Saks counters) is a classic cream formula and more pinkish/mauve out of all these. It’s borderline non-vamp because it’s not quite dark enough to be a true vamp, but still dark for me. I couldn’t find many reviews/photos of this one. I did like the feature on The Non-Blonde and comparisons on 3 19 29.

Le Métier de Beauté in Castelo ($32, available at Neiman Marcus) is a beautiful wine shimmer with brownish tones. It’s my perfect vamp without being too dark/goth. I fell in love with this after seeing it on Messy Wands (her post says it all). It’s also swatched on KarlaSugar.

I do apologize again for not having more useful lip swatches. Here are the ones I’ve done on the arm which I hope will compare the intensity of each shade.

To date I’ve worn Burberry Blueberry and Le Metier Castelo to work – the others not yet. I’ve matched these with a neutral eye and soft contoured cheek (Burberry Earthy, Dolce & Gabbana Tan or a soft bronzer like Edward Bess Daydream).

What’s your favorite vampy lipstick? Do you prefer the softer ones like I do or do you like to wear the dark/dramatic shades?

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