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Tom Ford Ombré Eye Color Trio: In the Pink

August 23, 2013
Tom Ford In the Pink Ombré Eye Color Trio is a beautiful palette of warm neutral pinks ($60 for .16 oz/4.5g, limited-edition). The packaging comes in a medium-sized mirror compact with an applicator that has a sponge on one end and a small brush on the other. These trios are the same size compact as their blushes. In the Pink has three neutral colors, each with a different finish. There is a soft satiny-matte light pink (this blends in with my skintone leaving a soft sheen). The middle shade is a frosted warm pink. The last is a sheer but buildable high-sparkle glitter. Each shade is velvety soft with good pigment and coverage. I applied the shades from left to right, layering each additional shade on top of each other. I was really surprised to find the glittery color wearable and that it adhered very well to the lids (even on top of other powder shadows). Application for the last glittery shade was a pat then blend – but blending was very soft and minimal. I had no fall out issues. The trio goes well with a black liquid liner and rich black mascara for a subtle but glowing eye. I’m normally not a fan of glitzy eyeshadows but In the Pink can be worn for everyday and at the office if you make sure to apply the glitter with a light hand.

The colors can look neutral to warm in the pan depending on how the light catches the shimmer. On my skin it applies warmer, but still pink. Your mileage will vary depending on your undertones.

Swatches, two ways:

Swatched heavy over a base darkens the colors:

Although In the Pink is a neutral with similarities to many other pink shimmers, the combination of pinks in this palette are just gorgeous. There’s enough pigment in each shade and enough warmth/color so they do look different on the skin. Some mono-chromatic palettes tend to have colors that look different in the pan but all the same on the skin. In the Pink has enough variance with each color to stand out (at least on my skin). You can get a similar effect with other colors. I pulled a few to compare, below you can see Chanel Sillage, NARS Silk Road, Nars All About Eve, and Chanel Complice (all still available).

Update: Per request, here’s a quick comparison of the MAC Pressed Pigments in Spot Lit and Warming Trend (both discontinued, but other Pressed Pigment shades here) compared to the glittery shade in Tom Ford In the Pink. While the shadows are similar in concept, the Tom Ford is a bit more wearable because it has a sheerer base. The MAC Pressed Pigments have more frost and pigment in the base which gives a more glitzy eye look. There can be some fall out with the MAC pressed pigments while I personally experienced no fall out with the Tom Ford trio.

If you already own any of the shades above you can probably get a similar effect. I do think Tom Ford In the Pink is a must have though. It’s versatile enough to take from day to night. The sparkle is pretty on my skin and not too over-the-top. The Tom Ford fall collection should be arriving at counters now. I found the collection at Bergdorfs.

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NARS Disco Inferno Nail Polish – Spring 2013

February 9, 2013

NARS has released a new nail polish for spring called Disco Inferno, a complex sheer sparkly metallic ($19). I’ve never found a nail polish so difficult to describe. It’s almost duo-chrome, but not quite. On me it’s an iridescent grey-purple-opal-blue infused with tiny silver micro sparkle flecks. Sometimes it flashes a hint of green, but on me it’s mostly purple-blueish. It has a 90s-ish feel – reminiscent of edgy metallics from the early Urban Decay/Hard Candy days, and some older Chanels like Fluorine and Metal Argent. As most have reported, Disco Inferno is quite sheer. Even with three coats it still has a slight transparent finish where you can see the nail tips underneath. I think it’s beautiful although I do feel that it is slightly too edgy to wear to a conservative work office.
Here it is swatched with three coats:

There’s nothing quite like it in my current nail polish collection. The most similar color I own is OPI’s Not Like the Movies (looks more similar on the nails than on the nail wheel or in the bottle). OPI’s The World is Not Enough has a similar edgy feel with a transparent finish but is still quite different.

Nail wheels have four coats (all shades are sheerish):

Nail swatch comparisons have three coats:

Bottom line gorgeous and listed as limited-edition. Available online at Narscosmetics.com.
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NARS American Dream Eyeshadow Palette

July 29, 2012

This fall NARS has released two new variations of their 6-color eyeshadow palettes. Product Girl gave us a sneak peek from an event she attended in July. I, of course fell in love with the neutral option, American Dream 9976 ($55 for .31 oz/9g, made in Canada) which contains Bellisima, Alhambra, Silk Road, Galapagos, Bali and Tzarine.

When I ordered mine from Saks online I couldn’t find a listing of the colors. Knowing that most NARS palettes contain existing shades, I knew there was a chance that I would already own half the colors. Turns out, I already own all of them, but I still find most NARS palettes extremely convenient for ideas and also for travel (my other NARS eyeshadow palettes here and here, still wishing I had purchased last year’s Nordstrom Anniversary NARS palette though).
Four of the shades come from some duos and two are available in single format. The shades with descriptions:
  • Bellisima is a pale ivory matte base loaded with tiny gold glitters
  • Alhambra is a warm champagne peachy metallic
  • Silk Road is a soft pinkish shell with pink and gold glitter chunks
  • Galapagos is a dark chocolate brown with tiny gold glitter flecks
  • Bali is a matte cool brown
  • Tzarine is a beautiful complex grey-blue shimmer with gold and silver flecks
More photos and swatches:

Under artificial light:

NARS American Dream has proved to be extremely versatile. I used it all last week and found that the shades fit nicely into any look, for both day and night, and worked well with a variety of shades from my wardrobe (last week I wore shades of black, aubergine, grey, pale mint and navy). I did have a bit of trouble with Silk Road’s glitter particles. I already own this duo and most of the time I feel the glitter is conservative enough to wear on the eyes for everyday, however there can be fallout issues. With the warm weather this week, the glitter fell onto my face and would not budge.
When using this palette, I’ve found the colors work well over Edward Bess’s Illuminating Eye Bases. I do like using a liner under the darker shades for added intensity in color, but I find it’s not always necessary. I’ve used 3-4 shades at one time (at most) from the palette.
Two looks I did last week, which I hope will give you an idea on how to coordinate the shades with lip and cheek colors.
Look 1 with peachy cheeks and light pink lips: Armani Blush #2 and NARS Deep Throat Blushes layered, NARS Rosebud Lipliner with Chanel Imaginaire Gloss on top, four eyeshadow shades in Alhambra and Silk Road mixed all over the lid, Bali and Tzarine blended along lash lines smoked upwards.
Look 2 with pinky-bronze cheeks and a sheer glossy bronze gloss: Shadows in Bellisima and Alhambra mixed together, Bali and Galapagos layered (slightly damp) as a liner, NARS Lovejoy blush with a swipe of Desire on top for a healthy glow, NARS Hopi Velvet Gloss Pencil with a bit of Dior Addict gloss on top.
I believe this palette may be available in some stores now, however my Nordstrom associates told me they were not allowed to sell until August 1st. I purchased mine online from Saks.com, I think it’s also available at Barneys online too, it should be available at most NARS counters starting this Wedesday August 1st. I’m fairly certain the palette is limited-edition, but I’m not 100% sure.
Have you seen or tried NARS American Dream? Do you already own most of the shades? I personally love it.
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NARS Multiple Comparisons: Luxor, Undress Me and Copacabana

July 23, 2012

This season, there is a new NARS Multiple this fall called Undress Me ($39). When I saw previews I wondered how it would compare to Luxor, another soft pale pink shimmer. Several bloggers kindly e-mailed me their thoughts after testing. I was warned about the glitter, yet when I saw this at the counter this past week, I could not resist. The official description by NARS for Undress me is a “ballerina pink with silver shimmer.” Like others have described, the shimmer is actually micro-glitter. It’s not the easiest to pull off with ease for everyday. The texture with the glitter is a bit chunkier and I cannot simply swipe and blend on the cheeks like I do with other NARS Multiples. After experimenting a bit I found Undress Me worked best for me when dabbing and blending lightly with fingers on top of another cream blush. It is glitzier than I am used to, but still something I believe I can wear for going out. I will need to experiment more. I highly recommend checking out the reviews from Scrangie and Product-Girl.
So how does it compare to Luxor and Copacabana? These are my thoughts:
Luxor is paler and sheerer, but gives a more natural luminous glow. The shimmer is very fine making this more glowy rather than frosty/shimmer.
Undress Me is the darkest nude-pink of all three. The base is easy to blend and on my skin it looks very nude with only a slight hint of pink. I personally would love this as a nail polish (reminiscent of Chanel’s Pink Satin nail polish from many years ago).
Copacabana is the palest and most frosty on my skin. On my olive skin it gives a sharper contrast since it’s so pale. This is a classic shade that’s great for highlighting. It also makes a nice eyeshadow base (although I prefer St. Barts since it suits my olive/medium skin better).

Under artificial light: 

 Swatched on bare skin, straight from the tube:

A blurry swatch picture, but here you can see the glitter particles in Undress Me:

A few more comparisons (Le Metier Mystique is similar on me, but more pink and more dewy and also minus the glitter):

I hope these comparisons help. Did you try Undress Me Multiple? Thoughts? How are you using it?

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Nordstrom Trend Show NARS Makeover (edited)

June 3, 2012
This past weekend I attended a Nordstrom Trend Show with my sister. It’s been a few years since my last trend show (this was my sister’s first). For this particular event, I was particularly excited about our NARS makeovers, hoping to learn new tips and tricks from the NARS specialists on how to mix and match various shades from one of our favorite brands. My sister and I both have loved NARS since our college days.

For this makeover, I asked for a smokey-eye look incorporating NARS Cordura Duo. The artist decided to go in a different direction focusing on other items, but did incorporate a tiny bit of the bronze/golden side of Cordura. The colors she used created a nice palette, but the application wasn’t flattering and I looked like I had punched eyes. The final result wasn’t one of the best I’ve had. My sister confirmed so right after with a discrete shake of her head. (It’s always good to bring a trusted friend with you to these events to tell give you an honest assessment.) I immediately ran to another counter to wipe off the eye makeup. I did get some new ideas on colors to coordinate but revised/edited the look as soon as I got home. Below is the edited version of my makeover. I’ll indicate what was originally used as well for inquiring minds.

Personally Edited Version List of Products Used

Face:

  • Sheer Matte Foundation in Santa Fe (testing a sample of this color)
  • Duo Concealer in Custard/Ginger
  • Loose Powder in Eden (I substituted my own powder at home)

Cheeks:

  • The Multiple in Laguna
  • Powder Blush in Deep Throat

Eyes:

  • Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base (giving this a second try with a sample)
  • Shimmer Eyeshadow in Cyprus (applied all over lid)
  • Eyeshadow Duo in Brumes (dark navy smudged along lash line, then smoked upwards slightly, a tiny bit of the gray side mixed in at the end to darken/define)
  • Eyeshadow Duo in Cordura (golden shade, applied with a fluffy brush blended on top of the navy, mixing/blending it to diffuse harsh edges)
  • Larger than Life Mascara (my current favorite mascara)

Lips:

  • Velvet Matte Lip Pencil Belle du Jour
  • Larger Than Life Lip Gloss Gold Digger

The products I used, more photos and swatches:

 Original Makeover Version 
(not photographed/swatched, you can see that the look was only slightly adjusted)
  • Cheeks:
    • The Multiple in Laguna
    • Powder Blush in Lovejoy (I think this combo will look better with a softer eye)
  • Eyes:
    • Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base
    • Shimmer Eyeshadow in Cyprus (applied on inner corners blended to the 1/2 way point of lid)
    • Larger Than Life Eyeliner in Rue Saint-Honoré (applied in a
      winged cat liner way, blended up, found the pencil too harsh to be used
      as a blended eyeshadow)
    • Eyeshadow Duo in Cordura (golden side, applied on outer corners
      and blended in for a fake crease, not flattering for Asians without
      creases)
  • Lips:
    • Pure Sheer SPF Lip Treatment in Paloma (so sheer it didn’t show up)
    • Larger Than Life Lipgloss in Pirée (also sheer, sometimes sheer+sheer=meh)

If you haven’t been to a Nordstrom Trend Show, I suggest you do attend if you get a chance. What to expect? high-energy speakers, brightly lit runways with models, mini talks from brand specialists/artists, giveaways, cheering pumped-up women. All what seem like the perfect ingredients for a successful event. I’ve enjoyed
many of them in the past, especially ones with special guest appearances like Deborah Lippmann (that one was so awesome!). My experience this particular time was luke-warm at best. It all seemed like one hard-sell after
another. Each speaker claimed to have the “best in industry” miracle-type of products. I do appreciate the efforts to teach/expose as many brands, trends and skincare items as possible in a short period of time, but I felt the two hours lacked substance. There was too much covered without focus. I left feeling like I didn’t learn as much as I
had hoped to.

In general, I have liked Nordstrom Trend Shows. Nordstrom is indeed at the top among retailers for having best in class customer service. Trend Shows offer an excellent environment to generate buzz, have fun with friends, learn new tricks and makeup tips and brands etc. However I feel that the sheer volume in the number of women that attend, overbooked “makeover” appointments, hard-sell gimmicks etc. water down the quality of customer focus. Bottom line, in the future I’ll look for smaller events to attend with trained national artists (versus free-lance artists who in my experience have mixed levels of talent) or make an appointment with my favorite specialist/counter manager with specific brands for a better result.

Have you had a recent NARS makeover or attended a Trend Show event? What were your thoughts? Experiences?
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Loving Right Now

May 31, 2012
I’m always drawn to matched lip and nail collections. I loved the Chanel Extrait de Gloss Collection (from 2010, see summary on Karla Sugar) and the recent MAC Fashion Sets, in particular Angel and Please Me (see lineup on Temptalia here, here and here). Right now I’m loving something that’s a little more mixed lip/nail combination and something a little less matched, but still in the same color family. Here are a few mixed and matched combination sets I’m loving right now. Swatches below as well.

Glowing neutrals
Left to right: YSL Golden Sand #54 Gloss
YSL Golden Shell #51 Gloss
Chanel Island #597 Le Vernis
Chanel Pêche Nacrée #515 Le Vernis

Corals and golds
Left to right: Chanel Nakkar #149 Glossimer
Dior Brown Panama #432 Addict Ultra Gloss
Chanel Holiday #617 Le Vernis
Chanel Delight #607 Le Vernis

Snapshot of jewelry from J.Crew’s Published June Style Guide and online at J.Crew here (I need one of those bracelets!) (Online versions of the J.Crew catalog are published on their website, currently May’s Style Guide is available to browse, I suspect June’s will be uploaded soon)

Pink lavenders
Left to right: Laura Mercier Nude Lilac Lip Glace
Dolce and Gabbana Lilac Nail Polish
Dolce and Gabbana Raspberry Lip Gloss
NARS Ratin Jot Nail Polish

What are lip and nail combinations are you loving right now?
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Loving Right Now

May 20, 2012

Right now I’m loving soft baby blue nail polishes. In particular these colors shown below: Deborah Lippmann Glitter in the Air, NARS Kutki, Dior Glacier, Dolce & Gabbana Anise and OPI My Pointe Exactly. All photos by me.

Loving this week:

  • Chanel Illusion D’Ombre Rivière, a soft seafoam green shimmer as seen on Cafe Makeup and The Non-Blonde (I heard rumors that the latest Asia Le Blanc Release will be available at Nordstrom for their Anniversary Sale) 
  • Cupcakes and Cashmere has the most creative beauty storage ideas
  • The Coveteur covers Jessica Stam’s look, Hair and Make-Up Courtesy of Jen Atkin and Lauren Andersen
  • Rouge Deluxe reports six new Armani Eyes to Kill shades will be released soon
  • Into the Gloss has an awesome video of WAH Nails in NYC
  • MAC Hey, Sailor! reviews and swatches can be seen on Temptalia and Yuki’s Lazy Channel
Also, The Beauty Look Book just turned 3! It all started with a guest post at Makeup and Beauty Blog. Thanks from the bottom of my heart to Karen at MBB, Karla Sugar, The Non-Blonde, London Makeup Girl and Rouge Deluxe – you were all my inspiration when I first started. Special thanks to Cafe Makeup for also keeping me going, in particular this past year.

Three years, 7.2 million hits, 3,200+ google followers and a Twitter account later, I still feel like I’m just getting started. I am forever grateful to everyone for their support, comments, tweets, sweet e-mails and for reading my blog each week. I’ve made new friends, discovered new brands, started getting into perfumes, learned new techniques, figured out how to paint my own nails properly, and have learned so much from so many of you. Thank you for your support!

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