Browsing Tag

NARS

Uncategorized

Christopher Kane for NARS Lip Glosses: Nucleus, Glow Pink, Mezmer and Nebulous

May 7, 2015

For summer 2015, NARS and Christopher Kane have partnered to launch a limited-edition collection of neons and neutrals to showcase Christopher Kane’s edgy design aesthetic with NARS’ iconic and bold beauty philosophy. I’ve been playing with the collection for a few weeks now and first up are the Christopher Kane for NARS Lip Glosses ($26 each for 0.18 oz/6 ml). There are four shades of lip gloss in the collection that come with the special fuchsia NARS Print and white Christopher Kane name embossed on the caps. The rest of the packaging is similar to that of the regular lip glosses with the sponge-tip applicator. The colors have a high-shine finish with a transparent quality. They appear to be sheer but the brighter colors have a bright base that add color once you let them sit. They leave a stain on the lips once the gloss is gone.

The four shades are all creams/jellies (no shimmer):

  • Nucleus is a sheer pale milky pink 
  • Glow Pink is a sheer violet purple that looks like a soft pink tint
  • Mezmer is a warm watermelon pink that goes on bright
  • Nebulous is a sheer coral orange peach
Swatches of each color show the transparent quality. Glow Pink looks violet in the tube but sheers out. Mezmer is the brightest and most pigmented of the four colors. Nebulous looks super bright in the tube but sheers out to give the lips a light tint of color. Nucleus is the creamiest.

Close ups and swatches on the lips. As always, lip swatches only show the color reviewed. Some readers have been asking about the lipliners I’ve been wearing on lip swatches. I have pigmented lips which means my natural lip color sometimes shows through the lipstick, especially around the edges. It can give the appearance of lipliner, but it’s just my natural lip that is showing through. Lipliner is included only when specified in each post.

____________________________ 
Nucleus is a sheer pale pink. The lightness contrasts with my natural lip tone and settles into the fine lines if I wear this alone. It looks best when layered over a lipstick or filled in lipliner. I like this over NARS Raquel Lipstick or Chanel Natural Lipliner. Below swatched alone on bare lips where you can see that Nucleus is a transparent-ish color.

striped boatneck by J.Crew, current season’s style here
____________________________ 

Glow Pink is a violet pink. It’s a sheer jelly which gives the lips a tint of color. On my lips it brings out the pink tones of my natural lip. On my lips it looks warmer than it does when swatched on the hand or in the tube.

____________________________ 

Mezmer is a warm watermelon pink in the tube but on my lips it turns into a bright cool fuchsia. I swatched this multiple times on different days to make sure there wasn’t any remnants of stain from other colors on my lips. Each time it looked exactly like this as shown below. Your mileage may vary with this color as it melds with your specific natural lip tone. Out of the four Christopher Kane for NARS Lip Glosses I found this one to be the most pigmented but it still has a jelly finish.

striped boatneck by J.Crew, current season’s style here
____________________________ 

Nebulous is a hot orange in the tube. On the lips it sheers out to a coral peachy glow. This is my favorite in the bunch because of the way it transforms on the lips. I like it alone but it’s also pretty layered over Barbarella Lipstick or Barbara Lipstick from NARS. Here it is swatched alone on bare lips. 

____________________________ 

Some swatched comparisons for reference:

If you like sheer jelly brights then I think you’ll find something to love in the Christopher Kane for NARS collection. I found the glosses have a similar vibe to some other sheer jelly lip glosses but I do like the fact that the NARS ones have a stain factor making them more pigmented and colorful compared to the traditional jelly gloss. My personal favorites are Nebulous and Glow Pink because they give the lips a healthy tint of color that looks bright but still natural. Mezmer is so gorgeous in the tube but on me it turns into a cool fuchsia which is fun, but I don’t usually gravitate towards bright cool pinks because they turn blue on my olive skin. Nucleus is a fail when worn alone, but it’s a good one when layered over lipstick/liner or when mixed with other lip glosses. This is mainly because of my super pigmented lips that contrast with the pale undertone.
A quick peek at the Christopher Kane for NARS Collection from the Melrose Boutique:

Have you checked out the NARS Christopher Kane collection yet? What did you think? You can find the lip glosses now at all NARS counters and Boutiques. Online at Nordstrom, Sephora, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdale’s and Narscosmetics.com.

Nucleus was provided as a press sample for review consideration. All other colors purchased by me.

16 Comments
Packing Travel

Travel Beauty Picks for Spring

May 4, 2015

A couple weeks ago I attended the third rewardStyle conference in Dallas, Texas. It was such an amazing week and I was thrilled to meet so many incredible women, many of whom have been such a huge inspiration to me over the years. It was also great to discover and meet some new people. I loved hearing about how other bloggers got started blogging, their professional backgrounds, chatting about work/life/blog balance, and more. The week was packed with events, meetings and educational sessions but I managed to snap a few photos of my week there. Today I’m sharing the beauty items I brought with me. I waited to the last minute to pack my items and didn’t plan in advance (which is how I ended up bringing 3 mascaras with me and way too many brushes). I’ll go through what I packed, how I packed it and what I ended up using.

Quick snapshots from the rewardStyle conference. For more on the event, you can search the hashtag #rStheCon via social channels to see more of the festivities. One of the biggest highlights of my week was being able to hang out with Rachel from Beauty Professor (yay #bbloggers!):

Here’s how I packed the vast majority of my beauty items. I brought a lot of items with me, most were to use for day or night. Some items I brought with intent of finishing up some posts and product reviews. Due to the busy scheduling of meetings and events I didn’t get to complete the reviews I planned. Even though I brought a lot of items with me several pouches and brush holders helped keep everything compact and organized.

  1. Barneys New York Love Yourself 2015 gift with purchase bag is the perfect size to carry lots of compacts, lipsticks, tools, mascaras etc. I like that it’s large but sturdy. For travel I usually travel with my Bobbi Brown Train Case (shown here and here) but the Barneys Makeup Pouch fit into my suitcase better for this trip.
  2. Make Up For Ever Dany’s Pouch is a two-piece makeup pouch you can use to store brushes, pencils or mascara wands. It keeps the brush tips from getting smashed and when you travel it doubles as a brush holder.
  3. MustaeV Bloom Pouch (c/o) is something I received at The Makeup Show LA. The pouch comes in two sizes, small is shown above. Large version is shown here. These are flat zip pouches that come with a magnetic closure and a top that folds down so you can transform it into a brush holder. It’s an innovative makeup bag that stays relatively flat when you zip it making it slimmer and easier to slip into small spaces.
  4. Truffle Large Clarity Pouch (c/o) measures 10 inches by 12 inches. The see thru plastic makes it easy to see what’s inside so you don’t have to dig around bags to find things. The flat shape is flexible but I personally like to keep flat things inside so the material doesn’t become stretched. That being said, the Truffle bags are extremely sturdy so they tend to keep their shape.
  5. Quart-sized ziploc to keep all my liquids. I usually travel with one carry on and one personal item since I just find it easier to travel that way. My trips are usually on the shorter side so I can get away with one suitcase. 

The liquids, skincare, hair care and more:

I was able to fit all of these items in the quart sized bag. Most of these are minis I’ve been saving up for months from Sephora Beauty Insider offerings, online promo codes and gift with purchase events. A few brands I like offer travel items you can actually purchase. I wish more brands offered travel sizes you could buy or test out. Do you stock on up on minis to save for travel or do you use them as soon as you get them?
  1. First Aid Beauty Face Cleanser mini gwp
  2. Caudalie Instant Detox Mask mini gwp
  3. MAC Prep + Prime Blemish Control Gel
  4. Bioderma travel size (review here)
  5. Lancome Bi-Facil travel size gwp
  6. Chanel Le Coton
  7. Q-Tips 
  8. Drybar The Chaser sample gwp
  9. Byredo Black Saffron mini sample gwp
  10. Tatcha Indigo Hand Cream travel size (c/o) 
  11. Cle de Peau Beaute Essential Correcting Refiner gwp
  12. Tatcha Dewy Skin Mist travel size (c/o) 
  13. Make up For Ever Instant Brush Cleaner travel size
  14. Bumble and Bumble Invisible Oil Primer gwp
  15. Bumble and Bumble Straight Blowdry Creme gwp
  16. Chanel Le Lift Creme gwp
  17. Chanel Hydra Beauty Micro Serum gwp 
  18. Chanel Le Nuit sample gwp
  19. Chanel Sublimage Eye Cream gwp
For makeup, I packed summery colors with lots of shimmer. For cheeks, I layered the Tom Ford Cream blush with the Hourglass Ambient Lighting bronzer and blushes. To highlight I relied on Edward Bess’s Afterglow. For the eyes I primarily used the Tom Ford Cream and Powder Duos and the MAC Palette. Those two were sufficient to get me through the trip. I didn’t end up using the Burberry Shadows or any of the Cream Shadow Sticks I brought with me. 

  1. NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Ginger (review here)
  2. YSL Touche Eclat in 5.5 (swatched here)
  3. Chanel CC Cream in Beige 30 (review here)
  4. NARS All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation in Punjab (in mini empty sample jar I had on hand, review along with swatches here)
  5. Charlotte Tilbury Beach Stick in Ibiza (review here)
  6. Tom Ford Cream Cheek Color in Pink Sand (review here, c/o)
  7. Burberry Wet & Dry Glow Eyeshadows in Nude and Shell (review here, Shell c/o)
  8. MAC Warm Neutrals x15 Palette
  9. NARS Brow Perfector in Caucase
  10. Edward Bess Illuminating Eye Base in Dune (swatched here)
  11. Chanel Stylo Eyeshadow in Caroube (review soon)
  12. By Terry Ombre Blackstar in Brown Perfection and Frozen Quartz
  13. Burberry Bold Lash Mascara (c/o) 
  14. Marc Jacobs O!Mega Lash Mascara (c/o) 
  15. Armani Eyes to Kill Stretch Mascara
  16. Tom Ford Cream and Powder Eyeshadow Duos (review here, c/o)
  17. Marc Jacobs Poutliner in Honeybun (reviewed here)
  18. Edward Bess All Over Seduction in Afterglow (swatched here)
  19. YSL Glossy Stain in Wet Nude (review here)
  20. Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Reveuse (review soon)
  21. Hourglass Ambient Lighting Bronzer in Radiant Bronze (review here)
  22. NARS x Christopher Kane Lip Gloss (review soon)

For brushes and tools, I brought some of my favorites along with the Make Up For Ever Instant Brush Cleaner. It gives a good quick clean but doesn’t give them a thorough washing like shampoo or traditional brush cleaners. Left to right includes:

Wayne Goss Holiday Brush (reviewed here)
old mascara wand I recycled for brows
Additional beauty items I brought with me:

  1. Tatcha Japanese Blotting Papers (regular and evening versions)
  2. Misc hair ties
  3. Drybar Lemondrop Detangler Brush
  4. Lavanila Fresh Lemon Deoderant
  5. Drybar Buttercup Blow Dryer
  6. GHD Flat Iron
  7. Drybar Hold Me Hair Clips
I definitely overpacked beauty items, but it’s something I almost always do. With the exception of foundation, I think I brought enough items to last a full month even though I was only traveling for a week. I used all of the liquids for skincare and haircare that I brought with me so I think those items were well packed (I relied on the hotel for other things like shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, toothpaste). For makeup, I could have left 60% of the items at home. I did intend to swatch/review a lot of the items but should have known better that time and energy would be limited while traveling. For brushes I used fingers to apply foundation during the week so I could have skipped the cream foundation brush. All of the other brushes were used during the trip and I could have left the instant brush cleaner at home but I found it handy to clean off the eye brushes for a quick clean.
There were a lot of skincare items I wanted to bring with me but didn’t have small containers to pour out product into for travel. I know many of you have mentioned you buy small travel jars at Target or the Container Store for your travels, if you have any specific favs or other recommendations to store liquids or creams while you travel I would love to hear about them!
Do you travel a lot? If yes, how do you carry/store your beauty products? How do you edit what you bring with you? Are there any things you can’t be without when you travel? I can’t live without my hairdryer or flat iron so it usually goes with me on every trip even though they take up a lot of room in my suitcase.

P.S. For those planning a trip whether it’s overnight or for an extended period, the Tumi Just In Case duffle is a lifesaver in terms of packing. I usually end up bringing more items home with me than I took with me and the Tumi Just In Case Duffle is something that folds into a small pouch you can store in your suitcase. You can see the diagrams on the Tumi website to see how it works, but it’s a foldable sturdy nylon tote that has a their add-a-bag sleeve on the back so you can put it on the handles of your suitcase. 

Some items in this post were samples from gift with purchase events and some were press samples all of which are disclosed next to each listed item with a gwp or c/o note. The remainder items from my purchased by me.

23 Comments
Base Makeup

Foundation Rotation for Spring

April 20, 2015

This time of year many of my readers have asked for foundation recommendations as they have mentioned they need something new in their beauty wardrobe as we transition to warmer spring weather. There seem to be quite a few new foundation releases and being curious, I stopped by my local Nordstrom to check out some of the latest formulas. Right now Nordstrom has a foundation guide online with filters to help you find the best formula for you by category. You can also filter your search by price points, brand and store availability if you want to try in store. The three main categories they have include:

1) coverage – sheer / medium / full
2) finish – luminous / matte / natural
3) skin type – aging / combination / dry / normal / oily

For coverage I prefer a medium to full finish because I don’t have perfect skin, although it’s improved significantly over the past year. For finish I tend to prefer something luminous but not too glowy as mattes tend to make my face look flat. On skin type, I am approaching my mid-30’s so anti-aging is something I am concerned with, but I prefer to look for anti-aging ingredients in skincare. Aside from aging concerns, my skin is combination and sensitive. I have a roundup of some foundations that I have in rotation right now along with thoughts on each one I’ve tested by coverage type. I would say all of these have a natural to luminous finish.

Full Coverage:
Laura Mercier Silk Creme Oil Free Foundation (I use Sand Beige)
Medium to Full Coverage:
NARS All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation (I use Punjab, sometimes I mix in Santa Fe)
Tom Ford Traceless Perfecting Foundation (my match is Bisque 4)
Sheer to Medium Coverage:
NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer (Groenland)
Chanel CC Cream (30 Beige)
Sheer Coverage:
Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer (Sand)
Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow (20 Beige and 30 Beige)

______________________________

Hands down, my current favorite formulas are from NARS. The All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation offers medium to full coverage with 2-3 pumps. It’s very concentrated so a little goes a long way and you need to shake the bottle before pumping out any product. I’ve found application works best by blending with fingers or a damp beauty blender. Having a good base for this is key. I really like the Dolce & Gabbana Primer or the NARS Pro Prime Radiance Enhancing Primers right now. For color I am closer to a NARS Punjab, but I tend to tan and lighten easily so I picked up Santa Fe to mix in for days when I feel slightly lighter.

The Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer in Groenland has been a long-time staple for me. I have Alaska to show below for comparisons, but my go-to shade for a long time has been Groenland. I like this because it’s not as rich as a traditional tinted moisturizer but has more of a lightweight foundation feel. It glides on the skin and covers in the most natural way melting into the skin. It gives the skin a radiant glow without looking too dewy or shiny. There is no shimmer in it but it still gives the face a  luminous look while offering an impressive amount of natural coverage. I like this set with the NARS Light Reflecting Loose Powder or Hourglass Diffused Light.

______________________________
Tom Ford Traceless Perfecting Foundation is my second favorite for a medium to full coverage foundation right now. It covers really well, lasts all day and photographs nicely without giving your face a white cast. Being that it gives a fuller coverage compared to other formulas, it isn’t as fluid or liquid as other formulas and feels slightly thick, but it doesn’t feel heavy on the face. It lasts all day long without many touch ups required and holds up in warmer weather nicely. It is on the pricey side but I’ve had nothing but good experiences with this one.
______________________________

Next up is Laura Mercier. The Tinted Moisturizer is a classic cult-favorite in her line but I have a love/hate relationship with this one. There have been shade extensions and although the formula is sheer and very forgiving, I feel that there are only certain times during the year when I can wear this. Spring to summer is one when I have more color and have a better color match to Sand. Due to the sheer coverage I find this is good only on the good-skin days. If you’re one who only needs a light base and something to even out the skin naturally, this is a really good one.

The latest from Laura Mercier is her Silk Creme reformulations in the Oil Free and Moisturizing formulas. I tried the Oil Free at the counter since I just used up the Flawless Fluide in Honey (which a lot thinner in texture and quite fluid). For the Silk Creme, I am in between shades but the nice thing about the Silk Creme Oil Free is that it adjusts and warms up on the skin without oxidizing. These new formulas are designed to be “Photo Ready” that have a natural matte finish that is long-wearing. I found the Oil Free to be full coverage on my skin. It’s ultra concentrated and a bit on the thick side but a tiny bit goes a very long way and you don’t need a lot. I didn’t quite see a matte finish, on me it looked a bit dewy but it did last a remarkably long time (with powder to set of course) without budging or fading. The texture does feel a bit heavier than others so you will need to experiment with application. I decided on Sand Beige for now (it has a lot of olive), although I will probably need Cashew Beige (more golden) in the summer.

______________________________
Swatches Set 1 with NARS, Tom Ford and Laura Mercier:

______________________________

Chanel has some new shades of the CC Cream out this season (finally!). The formula originally came in two of the lighter colors in the US. This spring/summer they’ve added 30 Beige and 40 Beige. The color selection is still extremely limited so I am thrilled I was able to find a match to the 30 Beige. The Chanel CC Cream is something that offers medium but buildable coverage and contains SPF 50. It is on the semi-thick side like many CC Creams but it’s still has a lightweight feel. It’s very hydrating but not too moisturizing which is perfect for my normal/combination skin. If you have normal to dry skin and found that the NARS foundations weren’t moisturizing enough, I highly recommend you try the Chanel CC Creams – it offers a fresh glow with medium natural coverage that makes the complexion look healthy. I’ve swatched all three shade options below and compared it to other Chanel formulas as well.

Another favorite for me this time of year is the Chanel Les Beiges All-In-One Healthy Glow Fluid. This one has been listed as limited-edition since it launched last year so I’m surprised it is still available. This is a glow fluid tinted foundation that has a tinted moisturizer feel. It comes with SPF 15 and has a more lightweight texture compared to the CC Cream. It’s also sheerer in finish making it more forgiving in terms of color match, but they are all on the pinkish side. I am a 20 Beige right now, but I also own the 30 Beige and mix the two occasionally depending on my skin tone. Below are swatches of all the Les Beiges foundations (they skipped shade 50 for some reason). Also included are the Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet foundations I’ve used in 20 Beige and 30 Beige.
______________________________
Swatches Set 2:

When it comes to base makeup, I’m not particularly adventurous in trying new brands. I usually stick to the ones I like and look for new releases because of formulas, color selection and texture. I have a lot of olive and yellow in my skin so many foundations turn pinkish on me. MAC and Bobbi Brown have really good color selections but I can’t wear the formulas (they irritate my skin with tiny red bumps). Armani has really good formulas but these days they often have a gap in color options and usually are missing my shade. 

Recap of what I have in rotation below (you can click the icons to shop the formulas):


If you’re in search of a new foundation I hope you found this roundup helpful. Out of all the formulas my top three picks are the NARS All Day Weightless Luminous, NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer and the Chanel CC Cream (because I’m a huge Chanel foundation fan).

Do you have a favorite go-to foundation right now or do you switch things up this time of year?

This post was sponsored by Nordstrom. As always all opinions my own. All items purchased by me. For more information, refer to my disclosures.

36 Comments
Uncategorized

The Makeup Show LA – March 2015

April 13, 2015

A few weekends ago I attended The Makeup Show in Los Angeles for the first time. The Makeup Show is series of events held for beauty professionals and students. Earlier last month, the team kindly sent over a preview package mid-March to showcase some new items and brands that would be making their debut at the show. I was glad to be able to attend the show in person to experience the event first hand. There will be events held throughout the US this year, check out the details for tickets and exhibits at The Makeup Show and follow them on Instagram @themakeupshow or The Makeup Show Blog to stay up to date with the latest and get sneak peeks of what is to come.

Quick overview of dates for upcoming shows:

  • May 3-4, 2015 NYC
  • June 13-14, 2015 Dallas
  • August 29-30, 2015 Pop-Up Shop in San Francisco (new!)
  • January 30-31, 2016 Orlando
There were over sixty beauty brands that with booths from the show. At the top of my list to visit were the Beautylish and Hakuhodo. The Beautylish booth was setup like a mini pharmacy with shelves of their Bioderma Sensibio and Bioderma Sébium – both of which are currently sold out, but be sure to put yourself on the wait list online. I was beyond excited to see the Hakuhodo brushes in person for the first time ever and limited myself to purchase 4 although I have a very long wish list now. A new discovery for me was the Korean brand MustaeV. The Makeup Show Press package included the Bloom Pouch (also shown here) which is perfect for travel. I picked up some items from the line and will have a review soon. Additional stops included the booths for Make Up For Ever, Nigel’s Beauty Emporium, Kevyn Aucoin, and NARS.

A few quick snapshots from the show that I was able to get in between the crowds of attendees:

Beautylish

MustaeV

Make Up For Ever

NARS

Ellis Faas Gallery

Inglot

Most of the lines offered their items at discounted prices from retail listed prices for those who attended the show. Here is my extensive (and rather expensive) haul. I left with four different kinds of brush cleaner that I’ve been putting to the test. I am eager to see if there is really a difference between the brands or if they all perform the same.

The Make Up For Ever items can be found at Sephora. The only thing exclusive to the show (and perhaps the pro line) was the mini Step 1 Primer Set. There were four small primers in a clear zip bag, but each item was rung up at the register separately. The OCC Creme Color Concentrate in Discipline can be found at Nordstrom. 

The Hakuhodo brushes I bought include the ones with white goat hair. I purchased J501 and J505 (both cheek/powder), G5514 (for eyes), the Fan Brush White H2369 and the Brush Cleaner. Hakuhodo did not have any discounts on their brushes at the show but it was nice to be able to see and touch them in person. Other items I picked up were some Kevyn Aucoin items like the Matte Lip Color in Enduring, The Celestial Skin Liquid Lighting in Candlelight and Lip Gloss in Neottiana. After falling in love with the Large Bloom Pouch from MustaeV, I knew I had to stop by the booth at the show. They have an extensive line of brushes but the ones that stood out to me were the travel-sized EasyGo Line. The Blush Brush is the perfect size and shape for travel. They were kind enough to gift a few items to test out. I’ve already put the brush cleaner to use and the Spray is perfect for when I’m swatching a large number of items. It cleans the brushes effectively and but doesn’t make the brushes too wet so they dry quickly.
Last but not least includes the Bioderma Makeup Removers from Beautylish. I already purchased the smaller 250ml size of the Sensibio right when it launched in February thinking the small size would be sufficient. I also prefer smaller sized items so they don’t take up a lot of counter space. However, both of these are so good, I’ve already used up 1/2 of the Sensibio H20. If these are something you think you’ll use daily, I highly recommend that you opt for the larger 500 ml size. You also get the travel sized mini as a bonus when you buy the larger ones. I ordered 1 back up of each of the large sizes online because they keep selling out and this is something I don’t want to be without when I run through the bottles. They’ve sold out online yet again so I highly recommend you add yourself to the wait list. They will shoot you an e-mail once it is back in stock.
One last shot of the Make Up For Ever booth, I didn’t pick up any of the shadows because there were too many people crowded around the items:

Hope you enjoyed this brief recap of The Makeup Show LA! I wish I had gotten more photos of the booths but I got lost in all the makeup goodness. Plus there were so many people in attendance it was difficult to get photos of the booths like Stila, Smashbox, Sephora and OCC. Have you ever been to one of the events before? If so which city?
Be sure to check out the details of upcoming events, ticket information, exhibits and schedules online  at their website The Makeup Show. You can also follow them via social channels for more photos of the events on Instagram @themakeupshow, Twitter @themakeupshow and Facebook.
Many thanks to The Makeup Show for inviting me to the event! The MustaeV and Beautylish items were gifted courtesy for review consideration. All other items purchased by me.
20 Comments
Uncategorized

Sephora Beauty Insider VIB Rouge 15% Off Event Starts Today: 4/12 through 4/21/2015

April 12, 2015

The Sephora Beauty Insider event is happening this month! VIB Rouge Members get early access starting today where you can get 15% off your purchases online at Sephora.com with code ROUGELOVE and in stores by showing the mailer or copy of the e-mail you received with the barcodes 4/12 through 4/21. VIB and other Beauty Insider Members will have access at later dates (will update as more as I receive more info).

I placed an order online this morning to avoid the crowds, although quite a few of the Surratt Beauty items I had on my wish list sold out already. I’ll have my haul to share with you in the next week (my package is expected to arrive Tuesday or Wednesday).

In the meantime if you need some recommendations here is a list of items I’ve reviewed from the past few years that are good to save on. Sales on mid to high-end luxury products rarely occur except with the occasional friends and family discounts. In the mix a few splurges along with classic staples.

Row 1, left to right:

Row 2, left to right

Row 3, left to right:

Row 4, left to right: 

Did you buy anything for the VIB Rouge Beauty Insider sale at Sephora? If you’re shopping online be sure to enter in the code ROUGELOVE at checkout. If you’re a VIB/Beauty Insider Member, what’s on your wish list or in your shopping cart?

16 Comments
Uncategorized

New In Beauty / On My Radar

April 9, 2015

Today I have another roundup of new beauty items on my radar. This time of year is my favorite because all the pretty spring-summery colors and fragrances start coming out. The Sephora Beauty Insider sale starts soon (the 12th for VIB Rouge) so if you’re a beauty addict like me, you’ve probably started a wish list and have been moving things in and out of your online shipping cart.

1 / Last week I was lucky to get an early sneak peek at the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Bronzers ($50 each). You can see a little preview here and here. I’m hoping to have the review up this weekend but I can say right now they are amazing. They are currently available exclusively at Sephora.com for VIB/VIB Rouge Members, launch for everyone on 4/15 online at Sephora and Hourglass Cosmetics and hit stores in May.

2 / To celebrate the opening of the Diptyque Beverly Hills Boutique, the store has released a limited-edition Beverly Hills Candle ($70) exclusive to the store that has lemon + mint essential oils,  orchid and freesia accord. 10% of the proceeds will be donated to LA> a leading independent nonprofit contemporary art space in Los Angeles supporting artistic and curatorial freedom. The candle is exclusive to the boutique, you can order one by calling the Beverly Hills store at (310) 385-5941.

3 / Also new from Diptyque is the Florabellio Eau de Toilette (in a 50 ml is $90 and 100 ml is $125). It’s available starting this month and is supposed to be a mix of sweet, salty, apple blossom and apricot-scented osmanthus mist. The Diptyque South Coast Plaza Boutique has a promo going on if you pre-order the fragrance they will include a 12 ml mini of Florabellio as a gift with purchase. You can reach the store at (714) 850-9995, ask for Raven.

4 / Christopher Kane for NARS Summer 2015 Collection features some stunning beauty pieces. It launches online at Narscosmetics.com and Boutiques on April 15th, everywhere else May 1st. 

5 / Jo Malone has three newly packaged colognes that are special-edition versions of some previously released scents ($125 each for 3.4 oz). Plum Blossom comes in a purple cap and label, Osmanthus Blossom comes with a spring green packaging, Sakura Cherry Blossom comes with the pink packaging.

6 / Laura Mercier has released eight new shades of the Creme Lip Color Smooth Formula ($27 each). The new shades include a mix of nudes and rose and plum: Lychee Parfait, Biscotti, Milky Way, Crushed Pecan, Praline Cream, Rose, Audrey and Dry Rose. Some of the names look familiar to me from her older formulas. I think a trip to the counter is in order for me soon.

7 / Tarte has a new Showstopper Clay Palette ($38) which looks perfect for summer. It has six warm-toned shadows, blush, bronzer and highlighter all in one. It’s in my Sephora shopping cart right now since the store locator function shows it’s online only right at this moment.

8 / Caudalie has four new masks. I ordered all four on Monday since I’m on the verge of running out of my Glamglow and Aesop masks. I have high hopes for these and will review once I put them to the test. I like the concept of different masks for different needs. The four options include the Purifying Mask, the Instant Detox Mask, the Moisturizing Mask and the Glycolic Peel Mask ($39 each).

What’s on your beauty radar this week? Are you planning your Sephora haul like me?
What’s in your shopping cart?
22 Comments
Uncategorized

Trending Now: Spring Neutrals

March 9, 2015

I can’t tell you how happy I am that neutrals are in this spring season. There’s usually something neutral-toned with every seasonal release but this year the focus is on nude and neutral colors for eyes, lip, cheeks and. I’ve pulled a mix of items from fresh new releases along with some classic favorites to share today.

For blush there a number of great neutral colors that will add a nude glow to the skin. I like a neutral blush that won’t darken or look muddy once it sets on the skin. For the cheeks I prefer something that has a bit of a sheen to add dimension and give depth to the face. Texture and blendability are important so you can layer and build color easily.

Clockwise from the left: Charlotte Tilbury First Love, Charlotte Tilbury Sex on Fire, NARS Reckless, MAC Tenderling, Tom Ford Frantic Pink

My all time favorite soft pink shimmer is Tom Ford Frantic Pink. There is nothing like it. It has a soft satiny silky feel with a buttery soft texture that melts into the skin. All the Tom Ford blushes I’ve tried are phenomenal and blend beautifully with a multi-dimensional finish that adds color and depth.

NARS Reckless is new for spring and it’s a super pale powdery pink with tiny flecks of silver micro sparkle. I’m normally not one for glittery blushes but the shimmer in this one is fine enough to be wearable if you dust this lightly over matte blushes for an extra oomph.

As far as matte neutrals go, MAC Powder Blushes are the best ones I’ve tried. Tenderling is a classic soft tan with a very slight hint of pink. Other staples include Cubic (more pink), Prism (more nude) and Buff (a bit darker).

The Charlotte Tilbury Cheek to Chic Swish and Pop blushes are definitely worth checking out. These are similar to the Tom Ford in the soft and natural shimmery sheen but have two colors to mix. The outer ring is for the apples of the cheeks and the darker center color is to add a pop of color. I like to swirl my brush in the compact and apply both mixed to the face. First Love is the perfect nude that isn’t too light. Sex on Fire is slightly darker and has more color but is still a really good neutral.

Beauty Look Book readers know I’m all about neutral lips. I could probably go on for days about neutrals. I’ll have a roundup later on more spring releases for lips but for now I wanted to share my top picks that I’ve been loving right now.
Above from left to right: Tom Ford Lip Color Pink Dusk, Chanel Rouge Coco Adrienne, NARS Lip Gloss Guyane, Tom Ford Lip Gloss Rose Crush, Chanel Glossimer Sweet Beige, MAC Lipliner Boldly Bare, Charlotte Tilbury Lip Liner Pillow Talk

Tom Ford Pink Dusk is as good as it gets for me in terms of a natural pink lip that leans slightly neutral/nude but is still pink. I’ve used up a couple tubes of this one already. This comes with a steep price tag but it just works. No extra tweaking required and it has full flawless creamy coverage. In my experience there is no dupe that can match it in quality, pigment, coverage and color.

Chanel revamped all their Rouge Cocos (a full post on these soon). The new versions apply better on the lips with a texture that is smooth and hydrating. The coverage is medium on these. Adrienne is a soft warm pinky nude, similar to the Tom Ford Pink Dusk, but the Chanel is more beige and has a soft sheen to it. There is a very smooth shimmer to the Rouge Cocos that gives these a beautiful glow that isn’t frosty.

NARS Guyane Lip Gloss is a super pale powdery cool nude pink. Alone it can look awful but this works wonders layered over other lipsticks or liners. (Above shown layered over MAC Boldly Bare Lip Liner). It works well with pinks, nudes, peach and rose lip colors.

Two lip liners I’ve been loving include Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk and MAC Boldly Bare. Both are really good neutrals that go with a wide range of lip colors. They are rich in color but blend nicely and help extend the wear of lipstick by creating a base. Both are good line + fill liners.

For nude gloss, Chanel Sweet Beige Glossimer is a classic soft beige with gold shimmer I think everyone should own. There is a slight hint of pink and brown in it so it won’t wash you out. Tom Ford Rose Crush is the ultimate pigmented nude pink gloss. It covers the lips completely and adds a really pretty sheen.

For eyeshadow palettes, my top picks are still Urban Decay Naked2, Chanel Tisse Rivoli and Tom Ford Orchid Haze. Those are classic staples for me. If you’re looking for something different and new, there are a number of new palettes and shadows that have just launched.

Above clockwise from left: MAC Amber Times Nine, Dior Eye Reviver Eyeshadow Palette, NARS Eyeshadow Valhalla, NARS Paint Porto Venere, Burberry Wet and Dry Glow Eyeshadow Shell, Laura Mercier Caviar Eye Stick Rosegold

MAC released several 9-pan palettes. Each palette comes with 9 mini-pan shadows in different color themes. MAC Amber Times Nine is the most neutral option with a variety textures ranging from matte, satin, shimmer and sparkle. The texture of the shadows are soft with medium but buildable pigment.

Dior released a new 6-pan palette filled with shimmery cool-toned neutrals. It’s called the Dior Eye Reviver Eyeshadow Palette. These are ultra soft in texture with a finely milled shimmer that adds the prettiest sheen to the eyes. The shadows blend on the eyes for a natural look with very soft finish.

For single shadows, Laura Mercier Caviar Eye Stick in Rosegold is one of my holy grail champagne shimmery cream shadows. It’s the perfect color for an all over wash and also works as a good base for powder shadows. Burberry’s Wet & Dry Glow shadows are game changers for a unique gel/cream-to-powder kind of metallic. Shell is the prettiest soft pinky peach. If you want something more glitzy, NARS Valhalla is a super sparkly soft peach neutral. It’s hard to tell in the swatch but it has peach and coppery bits of micro sparkle (versus the traditional silver or gold) which makes it super unique.

For nude eye bases, I typically prefer creams with a bit of shimmer. NARS Eye Paint in Porto Venere is a soft but pigmented nude powder pink that evens out the lids. If it seems to pale for you, MAC Paint Pots come in some good neutral matte cream colors. Above shown is Soft Ochre, Groundwork, Painterly and Layin Low.

For nails there are a number of good classic neutrals and nudes. Christian Louboutin has ten flawless nudes in a variety of shades from pink, beige, to cream (swatches of all ten shades here). For a cool-toned pink neutral, Dior Lady has reached holy grail status. I will need a backup. If you want a neutral that isn’t a flesh-toned nude, Chanel Particuliere is a classic but can pull warm on some skin tones. Dior Palais Royal is a cool-toned version of the Chanel. If you are looking for a good neutral beige cream that has good coverage, Tom Ford Toasted Sugar is really lovely.

What are your favorite neutrals for lips, cheeks, eyes and nails? Have you checked out any of the new spring releases this year? What are your favorites? I’d love to hear about your all-time favorites or new discoveries. For more ideas, Nordstrom has an entire beauty section dedicated to New Neutrals.



This post was sponsored by Nordstrom. Press samples include NARS Valhalla, NARS Reckless, NARS Guyane and Burberry Shell. All other items purchased by me. More information in my Disclosures.

42 Comments