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Rain or Shine, I’m Hopelessly Addicted to NARS

January 23, 2010

It’s been pouring down rain and hail here for several days, but I signed up for a NARS event and was determined to go no matter what the weather conditions were.

My local Nordstrom hosted a 3 day NARS national artist event to launch the spring line and I was thrilled with the makeover results. I asked the makeup artist for a look that would either use the new Kuala Lumpur Eyeshadow Duo or if that didn’t work, I asked for ideas on how to use my Brousse Eyeshadow Duo with the new Ophelia Lipgloss.

We decided to try the new spring duo since she was smitten with it, but unfortunately it was just too warm for my skintone. It looked like a combination of MAC Melon Pigment + Starviolet Eyeshadow on my eyes. I loved the fact that she was so easy to work with and did not hesitate to take the eyeshadows off and start over again. This is what she ended up doing:

Skin Prep: Skin was cleansed with the Makeup Cleansing Oil (applied to dry skin) and wiped off with a water-sprayed cotton pad. She then used the Balancing Toning Lotion to tone the skin and applied the Potent EFA Cream, Nourishing Eye Cream, and Makeup Primer.

Foundation & Concealer: She used the South Beach Multiple on the cheeks and temples under foundation to give the skin a glow from within. Since I already use the Sheer Glow, I asked to try out the Sheer Matte, she picked out Sheer Matte in Santa Fe which seemed to be a good match. Red spots and dark circles were covered with the Custard/Ginger concealer duo mixed with Luxor Multiple for a luminous uplifting glow. The Powder Foundation in Deauville was buffed out on the skin.

Cheeks: For cheeks, I mentioned to her that I already had almost every single Nars Blush, so she of course asked which shades I did not have, and picked out Taj Mahal for me to try. I have to admit I was seriously freaked out when I saw it, but she applied it with a VERY soft touch followed by Desire and it gave THE PERFECT glowy peachy pink I have ever seen. The way she applied Taj Mahal was to take their Yachiyo Brush and dust it into the compact then she vigorously tapped off the excess. She applied it to the cheeks in a soft sweep and it gave a subtle candle-lit glow. She then used the same brush to apply Desire right over it.

Eyes: An interesting trick she showed me was to apply the Luxor Multiple with a concealer brush right above the brows to give an uplifting-effect. For the eyes, she started by lining the eyes with Aigle Noir Soft Touch Shadow Pencil and smudged it. Mekong Single Eyeshadow was then applied with a smudge brush right on top of the pencil and then blended upwards with a mixture of both sides from Brousse Eyeshadow Duo about 1/2 way up the lids. Next, she took the lighter side of Kalahari Eyeshadow Duo to go over all the shades as a blending and softening color with soft contour. For mascara, she used both of the new ones in black, starting with the Lengthening first, and then the Volumizing on top. It was an instant lash makeover.

Lips: For lips, she blotted the lips with Cafe Con Leche Velvet Matte Lip Pencil (which I have but is missing-in-action) and topped with an application of Belle du Jour Lipstick. The final touch was to add the new Ophelia Lipgloss.

Swatches L to R: Aigle Noir Pencil, Mekong Eyeshadow Single, Brousse Duo (both sides mixed), Kalahari (both sides mixed), South Beach Multiple, Luxor Multiple, Taj Mahal Blush, Desire Blush, Belle du Jour Lipstick, Ophelia Lipgloss

What I wore today to the makeover: White ruffle collared blouse from Banana Republic, Beige button coat from Banana Republic, Joes Jeans Petite Provocateur Fit.

Overall thoughts: I really loved the results and ended up purchasing the Eye Cream, Balancing Cleanser, Taj Mahal Blush, Ophelia Lipgloss and both mascaras. The EFA cream was a bit heavy for my skin, but from past makeover experiences I’ve had with NARS, I’ve found most of their moisturizers a bit too moisturizing for my skin, so it wasn’t surprising.

The number of products she used seemed like a lot, but the result was so pretty, I don’t think I’ll mind using everything again on numerous occasions in the future.

I absolutely LOVED both mascaras. They were both amazing and it was an instant lash-makeover with the application of both combined together. I’m not sure about the smudge-factor since it was raining heavily outside and my under-eye area was very moist from the EFA cream. I’ll be testing it out more in the next week and report back later about the results.

Most of the things I already owned from previous purchases. I’ve always been a HUGE fan of Nars and events like these are inspiring to me to try out new combinations to get me out of that same-look rut I tend to get into during this time of year.

It’s been a while since I’ve had a makeover – I used to go to Chanel and Nars events on a monthly basis before for ideas and GWPs. But there’s nothing like a horrible MAC makeover to make you want to stop going to any event period. That being said, I have ALWAYS had great makeover results with Nars events. I highly recommend you get on your local counters call lists or ask about upcoming events. They are super fun and you can get tons of ideas on how to combine different colors.

I find that a makeover is more successful when you have a certain look you have in mind so the makeup artists has an idea of what you’re looking for. Simply saying “give me a natural look” isn’t much help, so I suggest being a bit more specific like say, “I like pink lips” or “can you show me how to use Brousse Eyeshadow Duo?” If you simply have no idea, that’s fine too – just give them something to work with. Something like saying, “I wear champagnes and browns on my eyes with peach lips all the time – I need something different” can help a ton.

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Color Focus: Teal Eyes & Nails Inspired by Marion Cotillard

January 20, 2010

I watched part of the Red Carpet coverage of the Golden Globes and was inspired by Marion Cotillard’s beautiful deep teal-green dress, eyeliner and nails she wore to dig through my collection and find similar shades so I could try to recreate the look. You can see her look linked here.

I don’t have a lot of blues or teals in my stash but with a little practice was able to combine the shades to achieve a similar result. Just a disclaimer: I have no idea what products or colors were used on her actual look, this is just what I tried myself to get a similar effect.

My application steps/technique:

Cheeks: First apply MAC Dainty on apples of cheeks followed by a sheer dust of Pink Swoon.

Eyes: Apply a pale champagne cream on eyes as a base like Nars Copacabana and dust MAC Quick Frost pigment from lash to brow (apply heavier near lash line). Right around the rims of the eyes, apply a seafoam green shimmer like the Bottom Left shade of Chanel Murano followed by a smokey line of a darker smokey grey-green like the Top Left shade of Chanel Murano. Apply a teal green liner like Laura Mercier Black Turquoise Eye Kohl heavily along upper lash line and lower lash line. Take a slightly damp brush and apply a shimmery teal-green shadow like MAC Deep Blue Green Pigment or Chanel Murano right over the pencil blending with a soft brush for a smudged look. The last step for the eyes (not pictured) is to take a contouring powder or soft brown like MAC Soba or Era and apply right over the middle of the eye for depth/contour.

Lips: Line with a pale pink shimmer like Trish McEvoy Essential Pencil in Baby Pink and top with a shimmery shell pink lipstick like Chanel Waikiki Aqualumiere. Top with a matching gloss for shine like Dior #431.

I would have liked to get a brighter smokey teal along the lash lines, the teals I have are darker and more subdued. I learned from experimenting that the key to get a brighter teal is to layer the colors from light to dark. Layering the Laura Mercier Black Turquoise, MAC Deep Blue Green Pigment and dark green shade from Chanel Murano over the lighter shades brings out the teal shimmer more.

For nails, I pulled out my green shades. I’m still in search for a dark teal shimmer that doesn’t look black in natural light. It’s hard for me to find something that’s the right balance of teal and dark shimmer. Most teals are either too bright for my taste or too dark. All swatches are taken with a flash, each has 3 coats. Anyone have alternative recommendations on pretty dark teal shimmers?

I already featured some other teal shades in my Smokey Eye Series in Color Focus: Smokey Eyes Part 5 (Blues & Greens) last November.

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Ten Things I’m Loving Right Now

January 15, 2010

It was really hard for me to narrow my list down to only 10 things this month! Since I’ve already featured quite a bit of the new spring 2010 items, I decided to feature 10 non-new/non-spring releases that I’m loving right now.

1. MAC Sunny By Nature Mineralized Skin Finish – I’m a sucker for bronzers and MAC MSFs and fell in love with this one when it was released last July with the Color Craft Collection. Looks dark and almost muddy in the container, but on the skin it’s a nice natural satiny bronze. I love that it’s not too shimmery (which most MSFs are). I hope MAC makes more MSFs in this kind of finish! If you missed out, check your local CCOs, I saw this along with Cheeky Bronze at my local CCO a week ago.

2. Bobbi Brown Nude Beach Metallic Eyeshadow – This was released as an exclusive with the Nordstrom Anniversary Exclusives but is also in the (X Palette). You all know I’m obsessed with neutrals, Nude Beach is a pretty shimmery, but not overly frosty, nude shimmer with great pigment and lasting power.

3. MAC Eyeshadow Brush #239 – This is hands down the best MAC eyeshadow brush I own. I think it’s a must-have for everyone. It’s so versatile and soft which makes blending a no-brainer. I have a soft spot for all of MAC’s white-haired brushes, I wish they would make more shapes and sizes.

4. Nars Ondine Eyeshadow – This is one of the few eyeshadows I have ever hit pan on (the one pictured is my second one). I wouldn’t say it’s for everyone – those who can’t pull off plummy browns will probably find this looks bruisey on their skin. I really like this though because it has a complex combination of brown, plum and gold all mixed into one shadow. Those who wanted to love MAC Starviolet but found it too purpley will like Nars Ondine. The Nars is a more wearable, more brown, more grown-up and less trendy version of the MAC.

5. Edward Bess Bare Rose Lip Gloss – Not your typical milky pink, but still light enough to give a pretty natural pink lip. If you’re a fan of Nars Chihuahua, you will definitely like the EB Bare Rose which has a fig-scent, slightly sticky texture, long lasting, and high shine.

6. Dolce & Gabbana Sparkling Lipstick – I got this from the D&G Holiday Collection from Saks NY and it’s the most unique sparkling copper/nude/gold lipstick I’ve ever seen. It’s very pigmented and frosty, so those who don’t like metallic lips, you may not like it. The frosty-factor can be toned down with a cream colored gloss though.

7. Shu Uemura P Gold 94 Glow On – This is a blush I like to use as a highlighter for cheeks and eyes. It’s a light-medium shimmery flesh-toned gold with gold flecks. I like that it’s not completely gold or yellowy. It seems more pigmented than most of Shu Uemura’s Glow On Blushes, perhaps it’s the metallic aspect that gives it more pigment.

8. Paul & Joe Caramel 04 Lipliner – This is the creamiest lipliner I’ve ever tried. It glides on more smoothly than MAC Cremestick Liners (which I love) and the Caramel is the perfect YLBB nude-pink-brown. I bought this thanks to the recommendation of Hettie from Bergdorf Goodman. Lipliners were one of the few P&J items I hadn’t tried yet, so I asked her to pick out 2 colors for me, #04 Caramel was one of them and I can see myself getting a lot of use out of it.

9. Chanel Glow Glossimer – Pretty soft glowiness that’s hard to describe. It has peach and pink and bronze in it, makes my lips look full and glowing. The lasting power isn’t the best on this one, but I don’t mind reapplying it.

10. Paul & Joe Canyon 16 Face Color – Soft light pink and cool-toned shimmery highlighter. I like this for a natural angelic-pink blush. It goes on very soft and natural. It might not show up on MAC NC40s or darker though because it’s on the lighter side.

What’s on your list this month?

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Eyeshadow Comparisons For Marina, Lakshmi & Josie

January 5, 2010

I have been procrastinating on a few comparison requests and thought I’d post this in case anyone else had the same questions. I plan to be a better blogger this upcoming year and be more on top of things!

Comparison Project #1: How does Edward Bess Intimate compare to other shades, particularly Chantecaille Pyrite & Benefit Fawn Over Me?

Chantecaille Pyrite has more gold while Edward Bess is definitely more taupe/brown. Benefit Fawn Over Me might look like a close dupe at first glance, but looking more closely will show that it’s more of a paler sandy champagne compared to the Edward Bess. Here it is compared to similar shades.

Top: Chantecaille Pyrite, Edward Bess Intimate, Laura Mercier Bamboo
Middle: Scott Barnes Sable, Benefit Fawn Over Me, Guerlain Sable Blonde
Bottom: Becca Mermaid, Nars Cyprus, Benefit Fawn Over Me

1) Chantecaille Pyrite
2) Edward Bess Intimate
3) Laura Mercier Bamboo
4) Scott Barnes Sable
5) Benefit Birthday Suit
6) Guerlain Sable Blonde
7) Becca Mermaid
8) Nars Cyprus
9) Benefit Fawn Over Me

Bottom line: In my opinion, there is nothing like Edward Bess Intimate and I find it different enough to justify owning even if you have any of the above shades. This post will be updated later this afternoon with swatches.

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Comparison Project #2: Is Bobbi Brown Java Metallic similar to the brown shade in Nars Brousse?

Bobbi Brown Java is a cooler mouse-grey when compared to Nars Brousse which seems to have a tinge of red. By itself you would barely be able to detect any red tones to Nars Brousse. I’ve also compared it to a few other medium-dark cool-toned browns.

Top: Edward Bess Mystery, Bobbi Brown Java Metallic, Nars Brousse
Bottom: Cle de Peau Satin 106, MAC Magnetic Fields, Jouer Espresso

1) Edward Bess Mystery
2) Bobbi Brown Java Metallic
3) Nars Brousse
4) CdP 106
5) MAC Magnetic Fields
6) Jouer Espresso

What’s the verdict? Are these different enough to justify owning all? Probably not unless you are a brown eyeshadow fanatic like me. This section will also be updated with swatches if my camera will cooperate with me later today. While I love the Cle de Peau 106, it can look a bit bruisey on my Chanel Shell (equals MAC NC30-35) skin and it’s the least shimmery.

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Edward Bess All Over Seduction in Sunlight & Afterglow

December 15, 2009

I bought these due to the Product Swatches the Edward Bess Counter sent me (many thanks to the wonderful staff there). I briefly glanced at the description online to get more details – they are priced at $37 each and described as a cream-finish highlighter for eyes, lips and cheeks.

I’ll do my best to describe the colors:
* Sunlight – a pale cream shimmer
* Afterglow – a light peachy bronze shade

Sunlight

Afterglow

I must admit I was stunned when I saw how small these compacts were. For $37, I assumed they would be at least as big as the bronzer compacts. I compared these to a few of my other liquid and cream highlighters and the EB is clearly superior if you are looking for that subtle glow without the greasy feel or glittery finish.

This is how I feel the Edward Bess products compare to other brands:

* NARS Multiples – I am a huge fan of Nars Multiples for the wide range of colors and the luminous glow you can get from these. I love the pigment and blendability of these, however, I find that the Multiple Sticks tend to get a bit greasy-looking on warmer days and don’t last very long by themselves. I usually need to set with a powder blush.

* Armani Fluid Sheers – Armani Fluid Sheers are indeed very sheer. The formula is a bit rich for my skin, so I need to apply this sparingly or else I end up looking shiny/oily. The #02 shade is most similar to EB Sunlight, but has a slightly glittery finish, where the EB just gives you a glow.

* Becca Shimmering Skin Perfectors – I’ve used this mixed with foundation. I find the Becca to be the most glowy-luminous liquid highlighter I have (even my husband has commented before about how my skin just glows). With these I have to be careful in the application too because they are so luminous, too much makes me look very shiny because of the finish.

How does the All Over Seduction compare? Color-wise Sunlight is a less white version of Nars Copacabana, Afterglow is most similar to Maldives minus the sparkle. For the finish/texture, Edward Bess’s cream highlighters are non-greasy yet creamy enough to be blendable. I do find them to be very sheer, so if you’re looking for a more visible highlight, I wouldn’t recommend these for you. If you’re looking for that subtle glow to finish your look, then these are the right product to try out.

For me, I’m a Chanel Shell 1.5, so the Sunlight shows up better on my skin because of the contrast where the Afterglow blends in more for a nude-barely-there peach glow. Today I am wearing Sunlight on my lids with the Nude Eyeshadow over it and it gives the perfect natural your lids but better glow. I have Afterglow on my cheeks and added MAC Nuance Mineralized Blush on top.

Comparison to Nars Multiples: Copacabana, Maldives, South Beach

Swatches on bare skin, keep in mind my swatches aren’t the best/most accurate:

Same order, but in natural sunlight:

Have you tried these? What are your thoughts?

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7 Things I’m Loving Right Now

December 12, 2009

I’ve been writing so much on Edward Bess and Paul & Joe (my two new loves) – I thought I’d take a short break. Here is my list for December (a bit shorter than normal) of what I’m loving right now:

1) Harney & Sons White Christmas Tea – Got this in a Holiday Tea Set from Williams Sonoma (instore). I know it’s not exactly beauty-related, but I’ve been drinking this nonstop when I study or blog. Add a bit of honey, sugar and soy milk and it’s heaven. I think you can get it cheaper individually on the Harney & Sons Website.

2) Korres Lip Butter in Guava – Posted about some lip balms last month HERE. This one is smooth, sweet but light scent, moisturizing but not goopy. I love the light pink tint! My lips were a bit chapped from lack of food/water/sleep as I spent the last week working non-stop on school projects. This revitalized my lips instantaneously – no joke.

3) Dolce & Gabbana Mascara – I used up my favorite Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill and felt it was time to open my D&G Mascara. This is *everything* Melissa and Rachel from Saks NY D&G have raved about. Defines and thickens lashes and doesn’t clump or smudge. I love the brush because it gets all my lashes without applying too much goop. It gives a more natural look compared to Armani Eyes to Kill/Diorshow. (No photo, but it comes in a heavy gold tube.)

4) Bobbi Brown Java Metallic Eyeshadow – I don’t know why I haven’t written about this sooner. I bought it as soon as the metallic shadows came out and love this for a smokey cool-brown shimmer. Most shimmery dark brown shadows I’ve found seem to be warm toned (Bobbi Brown Chocolate Shimmerwash, MAC Mulch, Nars Lola Lola, Chanel Cinnamon). If you like taupes, you will like Java – it’s a few steps up in intensity from your regular taupes with smokiness to it. Looks great when applied with a damp brush.

Compared to Stone Shimmerwash and Chocolate Shimmerwash for your reference:

5) Nars Irresistiblement Bronzer – I bought this months ago because it looked so pretty on Em from Too Much Blush. Even though our skintones are completely different, I had to give it a try. I’ve been alternating between this and Edward Bess Daydream for everyday bronzers. It’s a warm almost orangey looking bronze in the pan. But on the skin, it warms up my face like a bronzer-blush. Your mileage may vary on this, but if you have a Nars counter near you it’s definitely worth trying out even if it doesn’t look like your cup of tea.

6) Mauvey Pink Lipglosses: Bobbi Brown Pink Buff, Paul & Joe Lip Lacquer 07, Paul & Joe Lip Gloss 09, MAC Lovechild and Paul & Joe Lip Lacquer 10 – It’s difficult for me to find a mauvey lipgloss that isn’t too pale, too purple or too grey. All of these work perfectly because they have just the right amount of pink or brown so I don’t end up looking dead. They go well with Laura Mercier Chestnut Lipliner which is a good everyday neutral.

I bought Paul & Joe Lip Lacquer 07 and Gloss 09 thanks to the genius of Caroline from the Paul & Joe counter at Bergdorf Goodman. She said they were great for girls with skintones like us (medium and Asian) but flatter almost everyone she’s worked with. Of course she was right on the money. I then bought Lacquer #10 thanks to Joey’s rave review and pictures. I was worried it would be too brown, but turns out it’s not!

L to R: Bobbi Brown Pink Buff, P&J Lacquer 07, P&J Lipgloss 09, MAC Lovechild, P&J Lacquer 10

7) Guerlain Perles Imperiales Holiday Meteorites – This is my one and only Guerlain Meteorites. I caved from all the raves and bought it online because it was sold out in stores by the time I decided I wanted it. Gives a pretty sparkley glow.

What are you loving this month?

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Color Focus: Rosy Pinks for Lips and Nails

November 15, 2009

I will admit that I tend to associate rosy pinks more with spring or summer, but I feel that rosy pink lips can pretty much be worn year round. For lips, I tend to lean more towards more natural pinks since I already have a lot of pink in my natural lip tone, so these won’t be the rosiest pinks that are out there.

Rosy Pink Lipglosses:

1. MAC Sweet Strawberry Lipglass
2. MAC Bingo! Plushglass
3. MAC Creme Anglaise Cremesheen Glass
4. Le Metier Siena Lip Creme (GWP)
5. Becca Rosita Lip Gloss
6. Nars Stella Lip Gloss
7. Paul & Joe Limited Edition 001 Lip Gloss
8. Chanel Imaginaire Glossimer
9. Edward Bess Love Always

Swatches, same order:

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Rosy Pink Lipsticks:

1. Chanel Ischia #96 Aqualumiere
2. Chanel Tasmania #99 Aqualumiere
3. Bobbi Brown Ruffle Metallic Lip Color
4. Le Metier de Beaute Cannes
5. MAC Strawbaby Lipstick (Fafi label came off)
6. MAC Party Mate
7. MAC Skew

(The swatches didn’t turn out so well, I might try again later)

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Nail Polishes:

1. OPI California Raspberry
2. Essie Very Cranberry
3. OPI Grand Central Carnation
4. Dolce & Gabbana Rose (received as a GWP, but part of the regular D&G line)
5. Paul & Joe #13

For the swatches, the order is:

1. Thumb = Paul & Joe #13
2. Index = Dolce & Gabbana Rose
3. Middle = OPI Grand Central Carnation
4. Ring = Essie Very Cranberry
5. Pinkie = OPI California Raspberry

My blush collection has a lot of nude pinks, hot pinks, dusty pinks, peachy-pinks. I don’t have very many rosy-pink colors for cheeks other than my Bobbi Brown Raspberry Pot Rouge. Hence, no focus on the cheeks. I definitely do not have any rosy pink eyeshadows.