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Marc Jacobs Beauty

Roundup

Best Beauty Discoveries and Highlights of 2014

December 29, 2014

2014 has been a very exciting year and I feel incredibly blessed in so many ways. I am grateful for each and every one of my readers. Without your passion for all things beauty this blog would not be a possibility for me to keep up. Each week I am touched by the kindness some of you have shown through e-mail and comments. I think the internet and social media is amazing with the way it enables us to connect with each other across the world. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for following me through this blog 🙂 

I have a roundup of beauty highlights in 2014. There have been so many great beauty releases and innovations this year. I think the holiday sets this season were the best ones I’ve seen to date. I’ve linked previous reviews of my favorite beauty discoveries for 2014 below. Please let me know what your top beauty discoveries were as well, I’d love to hear what your favorite picks were!
This year marked the year for a number of brand launches and store openings. New beauty brand launches in the US that I was really excited about included Gucci Beauty and Charlotte Tilbury. A number of brands added new stores and boutiques. Diptyque on Larchmont opened in Los Angeles. In Venice Beach Caudalie and Hourglass Cosmetics opened up boutiques. Another highlight for me was finally visiting the NARS Boutique on Melrose (although it opened a few years ago).

Additional highlights include a couple special features for The Beauty Look Book. In January I was really excited to be featured on Barneys New York – The Window. In March of this year I was beyond thrilled to discover that InstyleUK included me in their Top 50 Websites (thank you!!).

The best thing for me this year though was being able to connect with some bloggers and YouTubers in person (in beauty and fashion). Meeting them was incredibly inspiring. There are few things that give me that warm fuzzy feeling like seeing women support other women and I value their friendship, advice, encouragement and positive outlook on life. 

What were your top beauty discoveries this year?

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Marc Jacobs Beauty

Marc Jacobs Beauty Midnight in Paris

December 14, 2014

Marc Jacobs Beauty has a new limited-edition Enamored Hi-Shine Nail Lacquer this holiday called Midnight In Paris ($24 for 13 ml/0.43 fl oz). It’s a deep indigo teal cream polish that was first featured in Marc Jacobs’ Spring 2014 runway show. This holiday’s polish comes with a silver reflective cap and the bottle is cased in a black velvet stand with a keepsake box. The presentation and design is beautifully executed making this a lovely gift for those who love nail polishes.

Midnight in Paris is a richly pigmented indigo cream. The pigment is insanely good and I was able to get full even coverage with just one coat. It is very dark in color making this almost like a midnight black, but there is enough blue in it that it still looks blue on the nails. The formula on the Marc Jacobs nail lacquers vary depending on finish. Some are jelly sheers, others are high metallics while some have a more refined shimmer. Midnight in Paris is a pigmented cream (similar formula to the Runway Nudes swatched here).

Here it is swatched with two thin coats. I used the Formula X Base Coat and Chanel Laque Brilliance Extreme on top (my hand and nail care essentials here).

A few comparisons to some other deep inky blue polishes:

Burberry Teal Blue (swatched here)
Burberry Ink Blue (swatched here)
JINsoon Rhapsody (swatched here)
Dolce & Gabbana Peacock
Louboutin Lady Twist (swatched here)

If you already own a lot of deep indigo nail polishes, you might want to shop your stash and skip this one. The formula is really amazing with this one though. One coat is enough to cover the entire nail and in my experience Marc Jacobs nail polish last remarkably well without any chipping or tip wear for up to 5 days.

Midnight in Paris is a limited-edition shade. You can find it at Sephora and Marc Jacobs Beauty while supplies last. Did you check out anything from the Marc Jacobs holiday collection or order any of the Black Friday sets? I’d love to hear what you think is good.

P.S. The Sky-Liner Set (reviewed here) is back in stock online at Sephora!

Midnight in Paris was provided courtesy of Marc Jacobs for review consideration.

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Marc Jacobs Beauty

Marc Jacobs Beauty The Sky-Liner Petites Highliner Collection

December 2, 2014

Marc Jacobs Beauty released some beautiful sets for the holiday season. The Sky-Liner Petites Highliner Collection ($45 for 7 eyeliner minis, each 0.37 g / 0.01 oz) has been on my list for quite some time and after a few days of testing I can say that I think it’s a must if you like eyeliner and want some options that are beyond the basic black and brown.

This set has seven different minis of the Marc Jacobs Beauty Highliners (full sized options are $25 each). These are twist-up gel pencils that are waterproof. The pigment of these is quite intense but the formula is smooth and glides on the eyes nicely without any tugging. I was really pleased to find how easy it was to layer nicely and get a precise line. Given the smooth texture when you apply these, I was worried these might be one of those types of pencils that didn’t stay put. But after you let these sit for a minute, they truly are budge-proof. Compared to other long-wear pencils, I would say these last a lot longer than Urban Decay 24/7 pencils and even more than Chanel Stylo Yeuxs. Lasting power is as good as Burberry Effortless Kohls (reviewed here).

I had tested a mini that was a Sephora Beauty Insider 100 Point perk back in August and loved it. The other shades in this set are just as good and had it not been for the minis I probably wouldn’t have tried some of the other fun colors and totally missed out. It comes cased in a sleek black tin.

All the shades are shimmery except Blacquer. The shimmer isn’t overly frosty on the eyes though, for me it’s really perfect. I’m in my early 30’s and for those who want to know if anyone over 25 years of age can wear these, I would say absolutely yes.

The colors in the Sky-Liner Highliner set include:

  • O(Vert) is a shimmery sage green
  • Brown(Out) is a metallic deep chocolate brown
  • Sunset is an interesting warm coppery gold
  • Midnight in Paris is a deep teal shimmer
  • Th(ink) is a violet navy blue metallic
  • (Plum) age is a bright orchid purple shimmer
  • Blacquer is a lush glossy deep black
For size reference next to my hand, you can see these are really cute mini-sized liners:

If you’re like me and won’t buy sets unless you like all the colors know that all the shades are available for individual purchase. Wearing colors like Sunset and Plumage are a bit of a stretch for me based on my natural instinct. I gravitate towards neutrals but every once in a while I have a makeover at a counter (like with NARS and Chanel) where they use some more wild colors as an accent on the eyes. I’m always surprised that it actually looks nice although I’ve never been able to bring myself to splurge on a full sized pencil I know I will only use occasionally. For me, this is the benefit of mini sets. This year has brought a lot of sets that have items I know I will actually be able to use up while still giving me mini bite-sized options that I can test out before seeing if I want to splurge on the full-sized versions.

I still haven’t quite figured out how to wear Sunset (any recs would be appreciated) but I’ve tested each of the other six shades and really like them.

The Marc Jacobs Beauty Sky-Liner set retails for $45 and is limited-edition. As of right now, the set is still available online at Marc Jacobs Beauty. It was available at Sephora but looks like it’s currently sold out online, if you are brave enough to go to the mall these days, you might want to check in store. Update 12/13 back in stock online at Sephora! After testing the colors, I can say I highly recommend it. They last all day long and didn’t budge at all from morning until late evening.

Did you buy any of the Marc Jacobs Beauty sets? Or the Black Friday sets? What did you think?

The Sky-Liner Petites set was provided courtesy of Marc Jacobs Beauty for review consideration.

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Marc Jacobs Beauty Twinkle Pop Eye Sticks in Au Revoir and Volver

November 21, 2014

I recently bought two of the Marc Jacobs Beauty Twinkle Pop Eye Sticks ($28 each for 1.6 g/ 0.05 oz, made in Italy) in Au Revoir and Volver (my recent Sephora haul here). I’ve been playing with the Twinkle Pop Eye Sticks for months in store but never pulled the trigger to purchase. These are twist up cream shadow sticks with intense color and shimmer. On the skin they have a slightly cool feel when you first apply them. The packaging mimics a large crayon which I think is really fun. The tips have colors that match the color of the shadow which makes it easy to identify if you store them upright in jars.

Au Revoir is a shimmery medium taupe silver color. The shimmer is quite intense but it blends out nicely on the lids. I did find with this shade I had to blend quickly because they set and dried a bit fast on the lids. If you have oily lids, you will really like how these stay put a long time. My lids aren’t oily, they tend to be on the dry side (but relatively normal). With this one I needed to make sure my eyes were well prepped with a tiny bit of eye cream. The pigment is so rich and the formula is a bit thick straight from the tube, so any dry areas will be emphasized with this one.

Volver is a warm golden champagne peach shimmer. This one is also very shimmery, but not quite as frosty as Au Revoir. I found this color a bit easier to work with and blend on the lids. It didn’t dry quite as fast as Au Revoir did (at least based on the ones I bought) but it still dried pretty fast. Volver has a golden sheen to it but the base is still light-to-medium champagne so it’s not too gold.

I’ve been using these a couple different ways. I like incorporating one of the Twinkle Pops into an eye look with 2 other powder shadows. Since the ones I picked are neutrals they are very easy to mix with other eyeshadow colors. I’ve tried layering them together as well. It gives a nice simple polished look, but for me the two of them combined is a bit too frosty for my personal preference.

Swatches straight from the tube, these are heavy unblended swatches:

Comparisons below, note that the flash enhances the shimmer. These are on the high frost side, but for me they aren’t so frosty that they are over the top (the MAC Pigments are discontinued shades I thought might be similar, but turns out they are very different):

I’m in love with Volver. It’s a really nice warm peachy champagne color and the gold shimmer gives it dimension without being too frosty. I can never resist taupe shadows so I give Au Revoir a thumbs up, although it is on the more shimmery side and takes some blending for my dry lids. If you have normal to oily, it will probably blend easier on your skin compared to the way it does on mine. 

These are both shimmery, but still wearable for my conservative makeup-loving self. If you like neutral shimmers but want something more subtle, I’d recommend opting for the Laura Mercier Caviar Sticks (especially the mini set reviewed here).

There are currently nine different shade options of the Marc Jacobs Beauty Twinkle Pop Eye Sticks. They retail for $28 each. Available at Sephora and Marc Jacobs Beauty.

Have you tried these? What did you think?

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Holiday Gift Guide: Travel and Trial-Sized Beauty

November 19, 2014

Here is my first gift guide for the holiday season. This time of year always brings about tempting value sets and travel-sized beauty gifts. I think these travel-friendly sets are a great way to try new skincare without committing to the full-sized options. For color, if you’re one of the types that takes forever to use up an eyeliner or lipstick, minis are the way to go and get more options for the same price. Here are some gifts this year that I think look like great samplers.

2 Sephora Favorites Glitz and Glam Party Essentials Sampler
6 Diptyque 5 Piece Mini Candle Set
8 Fresh Sugar Cravings Kissing Trio 
12 Marc Jacobs Beauty The Sky-liner 7 Piece Mini Set
13 NARS Virtual Domination Cheek Palette

Have you bought any good sets this year yet? I’d love to hear what you’ve been eyeing and any loves so far. I’m always up for recommendations on what is the latest and greatest on the market for the holiday sets and gifts.

Some more gift set ideas below:

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Hauls

Sephora Haul for the VIB Rouge 20% Off Sale

November 11, 2014

Several have e-mailed me asking what I bought from Sephora for the VIB Rouge/VIB 20% off sale which ends tonight at 11:59 PM PST online. I went in store last week with a list of items I wanted to restock. I should have ordered items online because I tend to get easily distracted in store, but it is always fun to play with the items and see them in person.

What I picked up:

  1. Shiseido Eyelash Curler – I used this many years ago, the design appears different from I remember it to be, but I’m not 100% sure if it has changed. I’ve heard good things about this one (the Chanel artists I buy from say they buy the Shiseido ones). I’ve decided to give it another try.
  2. Formula X Delete Nail Polish Remover – I’ve gone through another bottle and needed to replenish. (Review here.)
  3. Phytojoba Shampoo – this is my all time favorite shampoo, I haven’t repurchased in a while, but the sale seemed like a perfect time to buy a replacement.
  4. Glamglow Supermud Clearing Treatment – this is a replenishment purchase. One jar has lasted me since the August summer surge event and I really like this mask for clearing up the skin. I find it super effective at drawing out dirt. It is gentle enough for my sensitive skin. I bought it back in August because a friend recommended it as the best one out of all the Glamglow masks, I haven’t tried them all yet, but I really like it.
  5. Glamglow Youthmud Tinglexfoliate Treatment – this is something I tried 2-3 years ago. I received a sample but the tingle sensation really freaked me out so I removed it immediately and ended up giving my jar to a friend. I received a small sample packet that I tried again recently and found the tingly (slightly burning) sensation disappeared after 30 seconds and didn’t cause a bad reaction like I had expected. The skin was left with a tighter feel and felt refreshed. I will have to do more testing to compare the two masks, but this one works well for me too.
  6. Bite Beauty Mix N’Mingle Lip Mini Lush Fruit Lip Gloss in Papaya – this was an impulse buy I picked up while waiting in the checkout line. It was too cute to pass up. I contemplated the larger Mix N’Mingle Set too but decided to wait.
  7. Marc Jacobs Beauty Twinkle Pop in Volver and Au Revoir – both are cream shadow sticks that come in a twist up tube. Volver is a sparkling peach and Au Revoir is a shimmering taupe. Both are very sparkly but looked really really pretty. I’ve played with these numerous times at Sephora but never caved. I’ll have a review after testing these over the next few days.
  8. Urban Decay Naked Basics – After I did a feature on my Urban Decay favorites, many of my readers insisted that I check out the Urban Decay Naked Basics. I decided to give this a try because of so many raves. I’ll have a report as soon as I have it tested. It does look promising.
  9. NARS Tasmania Lip Gloss – This was an “oops” buy. I already own this color but did not remember that I did. (Swatched here.) Not a problem though, I have a friend I know who will take this off my hands happily.
  10. Dior Addict Fluid Stick in Vertigo – This is a gift for my mom. She likes brighter colors, this is a mix of plum and fuchsia and pink which is right up her alley.
  11. Urban Decay Urban Obsessions 500 Point Perk – this palette has four shadows in Skimp, Bust, Guilt and Oil Slick with a mini Zero Pencil. I believe it was available online as well to redeem points for but I just checked and didn’t see it.

What I also thought about but didn’t pick up: Beautyblenders, NARS Virtual Domination palette and  a couple more of the Dior Rouge Baumes (first round of picks and swatches here). I have them sitting in my virtual shopping cart online, I’m going to probably pass and think about them some more.
If you’re shopping online, the sale ends tonight at 11:59 PM PST, use code GIFTROUGE at checkout if you’re VIB Rouge or code GIFTVIB if you’re a VIB.

Did you buy anything during the Sephora sale? I’d love to hear about your picks!
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Marc Jacobs Beauty Lovemarc Lip Gel in Have We Met? and Lust for Lacquer Lip Vinyl Sheer in Pink Diamond

November 10, 2014

I have two Marc Jacobs Beauty lip products to share today that I’ve been obsessed with for a few weeks now. The Lovemarc Lip Gel in Have We Met? ($30 for 3.6 g / 0.12 oz) is a medium rose pink with a bit of gold shimmer. The formula of the Lovemarc Lip Gel is really nice and smooth. It’s become a favorite lipstick formula of mine, I think they are highly under-rated. The lipsticks are a unique gel formula with a slightly glossy finish. The shades I’ve tested adhere well to my lips and give medium to full coverage. (Other reviews on blog on Role Play, Serevine and Cabaret.) The Lip Gels have a slight vanilla scent but it is very soft and subdued making it wearable for me even though I have a super sensitive nose.

There are several new shades of the Lust For Lacquer Lip Vinyl Sheers and I ordered Pink Diamond online sight unseen ($28 for 0.15 oz). It’s a soft sheer pink gold with a super smooth shimmer. It is on the sheer side like most of the other Marc Jacobs Lip Glosses I’ve tried. Alone it gives a soft pink glow to the lips, but I did find the gold shimmer seemed to emphasize lip lines as it settled into the creases a bit. I like this one layered over a lip pencil or lipstick better than wearing it alone. It has a slightly minty tingle to it but it doesn’t numb the lips.

Swatches on lips:

I give the Love Marc Lip Gel in Have We Met? a huge thumbs up. It’s smooth, feels moisturizing, has decent medium lasting power and is a medium bright pink that has enough color to show up on the lips but still natural enough that it isn’t fuchsia. The Lust for Lacquer in Pink Diamond is something I think will be either hit or miss. I have some of the glosses that I really like in this formula, but there are some shades that tend to be just too sheer and settle into lip lines. That being said, I do really like the way it feels and if you have a smoother lip surface you shouldn’t have issues with it settling. It does wear really nicely over other lipsticks.

You can find both items online and instore at Sephora and Marc Jacobs Beauty.

P.S. The Sephora VIB Rouge and VIB 20% off promotion ends today at 11:59 PM PST, if you shop in store you can use the coupon they mailed to you or they should be able to look up your Beauty Insider account. If you’re ordering online, use code GIFTROUGE at checkout for the discount if you have VIB Rouge status. If you’re a VIB member you can use the code GIFTVIB at checkout. Be sure to check the terms and conditions on your mailer or e-mail coupon.
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