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Burberry No. 01 Smokey Grey Complete Eye Palette

November 21, 2012

Burberry No. 01 Smokey Grey Complete Eye Palette ($59 for 5.4 g/.19 oz, made in Italy) is a beautiful classic palette for a sultry smokey eye. The Complete Eye Palettes by Burberry have four shades in an embossed diagonal-shaped pan. The compact size is the same as the light glow natural blush compacts. The eyeshadow quads come encased in a velvet pouch with three small applicators (sponge, angled and eyeshadow).

The colors in No. 01 Smokey Grey include a frosted cool white, a shimmery gunmetal, a matte smokey grey and a satiny soft black. The texture seems to be identical to the individual eyeshadows, perhaps not quite as buttery smooth, and slightly more powdery, but still very close. Pigment in this quad is excellent. The finish allows for either a sheer application of color. Each shade is easily layerable and after testing this for a few days I found the lasting power was quite good. What I love about this quad is that it works remarkably well with my olive skintone. Most classic smokey eye quads with white, greys and blacks look ashy on my skin. This one has a good balance of cool and warm (the matte grey goes on slightly warmish on my skin) to work for me.
A few more photos and swatches:


Update, here is another swatch set under artificial light, I don’t know why the matte grey goes on so warm on my skin. On the eyes it’s more true to what you see in the pan:

Several have asked how this compares to the new Armani Eyes to Kill quads, Chanel Smokey Eyes and the Burberry singles. My thoughts:
  • I didn’t test all the Armani quads, but based on the two that I have, I feel the Burberry has a softer more buttery/blendable texture but more pigmented payoff in color. The Armani Maestro 01 seems to be cooler-toned and more subtle judging from swatches on Fruity Lashes, Beautezine and Best Things in Beauty.
  • Chanel Smokey Eyes is a quad I used to have (but think I gifted it away). It’s a quad that was extremely high maintenance and often clashed with the yellow tones in my skin. I think the Burberry has more buildable pigment (from what I remember). The Chanel appears to be cooler-toned as well. Cafe Makeup has excellent photos and swatches.
  • Compared to the Burberry single shadows, I found the texture and pigment similar. This particular quad was slightly more powdery, but I didn’t experience any fallout when I applied it on the lids. For color similarities, the white is very similar to Pearl White, but not as blue as Porcelain White. The gunmetal metallic shimmer is more pigmented and deeper than Pearl Grey. The black shade has better pigment than Midnight Black. You can probably achieve the same effect and don’t need the quad if you have the singles.

Comparisons to Pearl White, Pearl Grey, Midnight Black and Edward Bess’s Soft Smoke Trio (which is my favorite smokey eye palette).

I most likely won’t use the applicators since the quality isn’t anywhere near regular brushes. The handles are longer than your average machine-made small sponge applicators which is nice. The pouch is handy, but I don’t see myself carrying the quads in my makeup bag at work, so I probably won’t use those either. For the actual product I give it a huge thumbs up. I like that the colors are separated by the compact dividers – this makes it so much easier to apply and dip different shaped brushes into each well without mixing the colors. (I prefer to mix and blend on the eye.)
The quad worked well with a soft pink cheek (Burberry Peony) contoured with a matte tan shade (MAC Strada). I used Edward Bess’s eye base to help it stay put all day and paired it with a glossy pink lip (NARS Frivolous with Burberry Nude Rose):

Have you checked this quad out? What’s your current favorite classic smokey eye palette? Do be sure to check out other swatches and reviews (ones I found helpful linked here) to see how it looks on other skintones.
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Burberry Autumn/Winter 2012 Sheer Eyeshadow: Dark Sable, Mulberry and Porcelain White

August 12, 2012

Burberry Beauty has released a beautiful well-edited collection for fall consisting of:

  • three new eyeshadows Dark Sable No. 23, Mulberry No. 24, Porcelain White No. 25 ($29 each for 2.5 g/ .088 oz, made in Italy)
  • two new lip cover lipsticks Sepia Pink No. 32 and Mocha Glow No. 37 ($30 each)
  • a new velvet-finish foundation plus a few repromoted items ($54 each, 8 shades available)
Adina from Nordstrom San Francisco at the Burberry Counter just received the fall items last week and kindly emailed me swatches of the new items. I was drawn to the three new eyeshadows and immediately ordered them. Burberry continues to release high-quality products with beautiful pigments, textures and colors. I am very impressed and pleased with these three new beauties.
  • Dark Sable No. 23 is a matte dark brown. It’s similar to Taupe Brown No. 07 but slightly warmer and deeper. It has a smooth finish that is easy to apply. It does require a bit of layering and smoothing out with a brush but stays put for a long time on the eyes without budging.
  • Mulberry No. 24 is a beautiful complex deep dark wine plum shimmer with a reddish base. I am still experimenting with this color but so far love it. I’ve found that my favorite way to wear this so far is to layer it over Dark Sable along the upper lash line blended slightly for an intense non-traditional smokey eye. This combination creates a well defined eye that stands out without looking too harsh. It’s has enough plum pearl to prevent it from being a too auburn or red.
  • Porcelain White No. 25 is a soft white shimmer with a blueish flash. It has the same intensity as Pearl White No. 01 however Porcelain White No. 25 has a slightly sheerer base with more shimmer and more blue. I find this color a bit too sharp for my skin to wear by itself (I’m darker now this summer) but mixing/layering it with a color like Trench or Gold Trench gives a nice glow.
Some more photos and swatches:

Under artificial light:

Comparisons to other Burberry Beauty Eyeshadows:

Thoughts on the other new items available for fall:

  • Sepia Pink lipstick looked absolutely gorgeous but similar to Rosewood, I decided to wait and try in person (the closest counter is over an hour away so this might not be for a while)
  • Mocha Glow lipstick was tempting but I know it will be too brown/nude for me
  • Velvet foundation is something I will probably not try since my skin did not work well with the other Burberry foundation or glow product (both caused a bad allergic reaction for me)

A few other lovely blogs to check out with Burberry Fall 2012 features: A Lipstick a Day, Indigo Kir Royal and Lina’s Beauty Diary.

These three eyeshadows are my favorites out of all that I’ve seen released for fall this year. Dark Sable is probably too close to Taupe Brown to justify owning both, but I like that it’s warmer. Mulberry is a beautiful color that requires layering to work for me, but I love it. Porcelain White is a different kind of white. I like that it’s not a pure white or cream. The blue flashes are subtle enough to not look too blue and the texture layers well with other shades to add a unique touch. Overall Burberry continues to impress me with the high quality and beautiful colors.

I found the fall collection at Nordstrom in San Francisco. You can call the counter (415) 243-8500 ext. 1421. Ask for Adina 🙂

Have you checked out Burberry’s fall offerings? Thoughts?

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Burberry Beauty Light Glow Natural Blushes

July 13, 2012
This month marks the two year anniversary since Burberry launched their Beauty Line at select Nordstrom counters. To celebrate, Nordstrom is offering a limited-edition set of Lip Glows featuring the top 3 sellers for their Anniversary Sale this year in Rosewood, Blush and Nude Beige. The glosses are all full-sized and will retail for $65. In addition, Nordstrom San Francisco is offering a special gift with a $125 purchase which includes a black Burberry cosmetic bag, mirrored compact, mini lipstick and mini Body fragrance (see the details and photos on Cafe Makeup). You can ask for Adina at the Burberry Counter at Nordstrom San Francisco (415) 243-8500 ext. 1422.

Those who are fortunate enough to have visited a Burberry Beauty counter in person know first hand that everything in the line is of extremely high quality. The products are very well made and the packaging is heavy-weight and sturdy. The blushes, lip colors and glosses are lightly scented with a soft floral scent, but it’s something I find subtle for my sensitive nose. I’ve reviewed a number of Burberry items before, but since the brand is still rather exclusive to a select few counters, many have asked for a comprehensive post on all the blushes. Up until this month, I had purchased all except two of the blushes. Burberry kindly sent me two for review.

To recap: Burberry’s blushes are called Light Glow Natural Blushes. They retail for $42 each for 7g/0.24 oz. and are made in Italy. Each blush comes in a mirrored square compact and small angled brush. The quality and shape/cut of the bristles is very good the brush is big enough to contour the cheek. I personally prefer a full-sized brush, but the ones in the compact work for when you need a touch-up. Each blush comes with an embossed pattern in the signature Burberry check pattern. The texture of these is finely milled, almost powdery to the touch. When you swipe these with a finger or a brush, the texture looks so lightweight it appears they might apply chalky. Not the case at all.

At first glance, I did a quick pass-over all the blushes. In the compacts they looked so dark and when swatched on the hand it appeared they would be almost drab on the skin. I must advise you to have one of the counter artists apply this on your face. The application of these is absolutely flawless and the colors are easily layerable to control the intensity. These are among my favorites for blushes. I’ve already hit pan on Earthy and Peony (I’m on my second for each). Most of these have a matte finish on the skin but not flat. There are a couple shades that have some shimmer but it doesn’t really show up.

The description of the colors plus other resources (hope this isn’t too link-heavy):

  • Russet 01 is a medium reddish burnt orange color with subtle shimmer. I thought this would be an unflattering color and too orangey but it’s surprisingly flattering. Much like Chanel Tempting Beige and NARS Lovejoy. This one provides a gorgeous contour. See it here, on Cafe Makeup, on Orange2LA and Temptalia.
  • Rose 03 is a deeper warm pink rose. There is tiny bit of shimmer to this. Again, even though it’s on the darker side, it’s still very wearable and makes a lovely flushed pink blush. This color is very pigmented so I prefer a looser brush (versus a dense one) to apply. See Rose also featured on Cafe Makeup and crystalis007.
  • Cameo 02 is a dusty classic rose. This was the first blush I tried from the line and thought it would be too dark. I don’t recommend this one for oily skin as it did darken slightly. Make sure your cheek area is well powdered (not too heavy but just well-covered) to help the color be truer to what you see in the compact. This one seemed similar to other Bobbi Brown blushes (like Blushed and Desert Rose) but what I love about Burberry Cameo is that even if it did darken a little on some occasions, it doesn’t turn muddy or brownish. See Cameo on Temptalia and Blush is the New Black.
  • Peony 04 is a light pink in the compact that looks powdery. On the skin it’s more of a neutral medium angelic pink. It looks a lot better on the face than in the compact and swatched, but still it’s true to color when applied with a brush (sounds confusing but it’s a beautiful shade). This is one of my favorites. It’s easy to wear everyday or coordinate with a stronger lip. See this one on Lisa Eldridge, Fruity Lashes and a Touch of Blusher.
  • Blossom 05 is bright coral shimmer. This is a stunning color on the cheeks. Another very pigmented shade but still easy to wear and layer. See this beauty on The Non-Blonde, The Ultimate Makeup and Orange2LA.
  • Tangerine 06 is a soft browned-peach. Not quite what I’d envision “tangerine” to be, but more of a faded peachy brown. This is a gorgeous shade on fairer skintones but is still dark enough for medium-tan skintones. I think it’s particularly stunning on Liz at Cafe Makeup and Christine from Temptalia. It’s a classic.
  • Earthy 07 is a matte taupe. When I first saw it I found it looked like death. On the skin it works wonderfully as a contour. Some might find it wears better when layered with a warmer color (such as Russet, Tangerine or Blossom). I think adding pinks personally makes it look chalky and more grey. Adding something with warmth creates a natural contour. Some have told me they use this as an eyeshadow, I personally haven’t tried it that way though. See the natural contours on Messy Wands, comparisons on Cafe Makeup and also on a look at Orange2LA.
  • Misty 08 light powder blue pink. It’s very similar to Peony, just a few shades lighter and more blue-based. I prefer Peony only because I have medium-toned skin. You can see it definitely shows up on Delicate Hummingbird. On Makeup and Beauty Blog it’s more subtle. For me, I’m somewhere in between.

Swatches:

I personally really like Burberry Beauty blushes. Yes, there are many other brands that offer similar neutrals, but I like the texture of these blushes and the fact that they don’t turn muddy or brownish on my skin (like some neutrals can like MAC Prism/Cubic, Bobbi Brown Tawny/Blushed/Sand Pink etc.). $42 is steep for a blush but Burberry has made these very high quality and well worth the price in my opinion. Burberry Beauty can be found at select Nordstrom counters and also at a few Saks stores. It’s also available online at both retailers. Note that Nordstrom.com appears to only offer a few of the shades. This appears to be a glitch. My suggestion would be to order through a counter to take advantage of the gift with purchase offerings.

Those who want to shop the sale and take advantage of the gift, click on the Burberry tag below to search for prior Burberry reviews. Nude-pink lip lovers will find a diverse range of neutral lipsticks in the line. My personal top ten picks (all featured on this blog):

Peony Blush, Russet Blush, Blossom Blush
Cameo Pink Lip Stick, Rosewood Lipstick
Nude Beige Lip Gloss, Blush Lip Gloss
Rosewood Eyeshadow, Midnight Brown Eyeshadow, Pale Barely Eyeshadow

Have you tried any Burberry Beauty blushes? Thoughts? Favorites? For those who have tried other things in the line, what are the items you love?

Russet, Peony, Blossom, Tangerine, Earthy and Misty were all purchased by me.
Two shades in Rose and Cameo were provided for review.
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Burberry Iconic Nudes Summer 2012: Sheer Summer Glow & New Lip Mists

May 8, 2012

This summer Burberry Beauty has released a small collection featuring a new highlighter quad Sheer Summer Glow ($50) and four new shades of their sheer lipstick in the lip mist formula, 210 Pink Heather, 211 Nude Honey, 212 Nude Peach, and 213 Field Rose ($30 each). The theme for the entire look is subtle nudes. Everything is extremely natural.

Based on preview promotional photos, I envisioned the Sheer Summer Glow to be subtle and natural, but I didn’t expect it to be that natural. The quad is designed for the face as a highlight or contour. There are two shades of tan, a soft mink pink and a warm pearly ivory color – all shades have a luminous sheen. Some have discussed using this as an eyeshadow as well. I personally think it is too sheer to pull off on the eyes for my coloring, although it does create a soft wash of color (high emphasis on soft). Note that the wash is extremely subtle and sheer. On the face, to have this show up better on my skin, I applied over a cream bronzer like Chanel’s Tan Soleil (their cream bronzer in the round tub which I’m not sure if it’s still available) or NARS St Barts Multiple. The finish is a luminous sheen without the frost.

Lip Mists are a sheer creamy gelled type of lipstick formula. They are the sheerer option in the Burberry line. This season has four shades, don’t let the swatches below fool you. They are indeed sheer but apply with much more coverage on the lip with excellent lasting power. The impact on the lips surprised me with Pink Heather and Nude Peach. I have not yet tried Nude Honey but it looks extremely nude.
  • 210 Pink Heather is a soft cool pink
  • 211 Nude Honey is a sheer flesh beige
  • 212 Nude Peach is a nude light peach
  • 213 Field Rose is a soft rose pink (warmer than Pink Heather)

As many others have noted the entire Burberry Beauty line has been extremely well designed in all aspects from packaging, to quality, product finish and color selection. I’m currently obsessed with Pink Heather Lip Mist – it’s the perfect natural cool pink. The highlighter I could have passed on mainly because I like a more defined contour rather than something so subtle. Swatches of the entire collection (note I swirled and swiped the highlighter palette with a heavy hand, be sure to check other blogs for individual swatches and different application methods):

See other reviews and swatches on other skin tones:

Swatched comparisons below, two views of each set in different lighting.

You will notice with the lip shades that most swatched comparisons have more pigment because they are the Lip Cover Formula (Burberry’s regular lipstick). Yes, there are very similar colors in the existing lineup, there are subtle differences between each shade in the undertone or base color. Do note that the colors will apply differently on your lip based on your skintone and natural lip color. For more detailed descriptions on the differences, I highly recommend you call your local Burberry counter for extra assistance. In my experience they’ve been extremely helpful in describing the differences between all the nudes, pinks and roses in the line.



I found the entire line at Nordstrom. It’s currently available online at Nordstrom.com as well.
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Burberry Beauty: Nude Rose & Hibiscus Lip Glow and Tulip Pink & Devon Sunset Lip Cover

January 8, 2012

I finally found a moment to post the swatches and thoughts on my lip picks from Burberry Spring 2012. Thank you all for your patience, I know I’ve been very slow in getting the swatches up, these days I feel like I only have time to be a weekend blogger. Burberry has a beautiful mix of soft and bright for lips this season. There are a few neutrals for nude-makeup lovers (like myself). In addition Burberry has released some vibrant corals, pinks and plum for those craving more color. The colors I ordered sight unseen:
  • Hibiscus No.13 Lip Glow Natural Lip Gloss ($27) – a sheer bright plum with reddish tones
  • Nude Rose No. 14 Lip Glow Natural Lip Gloss ($27) – a sheer soft faded nude pink (very sheer)
  • Tulip Pink No. 27 Lip Cover Satin Lipstick ($30) – a neutral nude pale pink cream
  • Devon Sunset No. 28 Lip Cover Satin Lipstick ($30) – a bright/healthy but natural peach-coral (brighter/deeper than Cameo No. 02)
The swatches all together:

Close up shots of the lipglosses:

Close ups of the lipsticks:

Lip swatches of Hibiscus Gloss, Tulip Pink Lipstick and Devon Sunset Lipgloss. Nude Rose Lip Gloss went on fairly clear so I didn’t post the photos.

Swatch comparisons:

Thoughts on each shade:

  • I could have skipped the Nude Rose Lipgloss because I found it so sheer but it layers beautifully with Tulip Pink which can be a tad too pale by itself. It does go on fairly clear on my lips with a very slight pink tint. I think for the price I would have preferred something with more pigment, or at least with a bit of nude shimmer.
  • Tulip Pink Lipstick is on the pale side. It’s not quite as pale as Nude though so I still find it wearable. If you have other nude pink shades from Burberry I would say you can safely skip Tulip Pink unless you’re looking for something on the paler/lighter side. I personally prefer slightly darker pinks although this one is lovely when topped with a sheer gloss. The coverage is full but not too thick.
  • Devon Sunset Lipstick is a brighter version of Cameo. It reminds me of a softer more wearable version of Lancome’s Chris and Tell (which I gifted away). It has a similar effect but less of a garish finish. The coverage on this color is full as well. Compared to other corals it has a richer creamier finish.
  • Hibiscus Lipgloss is a lovely plum in the tube, on my lips it pulls more red (as most plums do). It’s a bit outside of my comfort zone but not too over the top. I don’t have similar shades but it seems to be a classic sort of reddish/plum so I am assuming Chanel and Bobbi Brown have something similar. The finish is sheer but color is noticeable on the lips.

Overall I think the items released for Burberry Spring-Summer are classic and gorgeous. The entire collection is available at select Nordstrom locations and Nordstrom.com now. Due to time constraints I don’t have the ability to do more comparisons right now. I hope the comparisons I have posted for Burberry Spring will give you an idea to help gauge the colors.

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Burberry Pale Barley No. 22 Sheer Eye Shadow

January 4, 2012

Burberry Pale Barley No. 22 Sheer Eyeshadow ($29) is a beautiful shimmery neutral sandy beige with a complex sheen. It glows with a mixture of warm gold and neutral taupe and champagne-opalescent sparkles. Over the phone, Pale Barley was described as a color that matches the classic Burberry Trench Coats with shimmer. It just might be the most beautiful neutral I’ve ever laid eyes on. The texture is soft and smooth and the pigment is anything but sheer. I do find that Burberry eye shadows are all soft and blendable for a soft sheer wash of color but the intensity of the pigment is quite good with the paler shades. The shimmer finish is similar to Rosewood with a soft luminous sheen. Lasting power by itself was less than satisfactory, however when Pale Barley is applied over a cream shadow, it lasts all day. I’ve experimented over the past few days and tried it three different ways: over Urban Decay Primer Potion in Sin, MAC Nubile Paint Pot and Laura Mercier Metallic Creme in Gold. Each one individually helped the color from the powder to stay put from morning to evening without changing the effect or color.
A few close up shots:

Left is with a heavy swatch, right is blended slightly, photos look frosty from the flash but the color is a luminous shimmer in real life:

At an angle, you can see the beautiful glowy sheen:

Creating a fresh unique neutral can be hard to do, but Burberry has pulled it off flawlessly. Pale Barley is different from anything they’ve released before and different from other neutrals I own from other brands. Here is one comparison set with Burberry Gold Trench, Almond, Taupe Brown, Rosewood, Midnight Brown and Edward Bess Intimate:

Compared to other brands I found Pale Barley unique as well. I wasn’t able to photograph the actual product in good light but did get swatches before the sun went down. Here is one more comparison set to Bobbi Brown Beige Shimmer Wash, Bobbi Brown Nude Beach Metallic, Le Metier Jojo, Le Metier Splendid Frost (taupe), Chanel Beige Lame, Chanel Safari and Urban Decay’s Naked2 Suspect.

I believe Pale Barley is a definite must-have. It’s beautiful, layerable, complex yet classic. It’s one of those shades you can wear alone (over a base that is) and just add mascara and have a finished eye look. I love that it’s a swipe-and-go type of shade that is goof-proof, fool-proof, and easy to incorporate into any look. For the woman who needs more than one color on the eyes, note that it layers well with other shades too. I purchased it sight-unseen and have no regrets. Pale Barley is a classic color and just absolute perfection on my skin. It’s a staple and I highly recommend it.
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Burberry Spring-Summer 2012 Picks

January 3, 2012

Burberry’s Spring-Summer for 2012 has just hit counters at select Nordstrom stores. To date, Burberry is limited to Nordstrom.com and only a handful of Nordstrom counters like South Coast Plaza, San Francisco & Chicago to name a few. Like many of my readers, I do not have easy access to Burberry Beauty so I rely on blog posts and tweets from my fellow bloggers to be my eyes and ears for the latest. Without them I would have no idea what to expect, although these days promotional stock/web photos are improving. My go-to resources for Burberry Spring include the following:
  • The full lineup is listed on Rouge Deluxe 
  • Pretty Addicted has featured her picks on her blog
  • Many thanks to Café Makeup for taking a few moments from her busy schedule to let me know the collection arrived at Nordstrom San Francisco (I called and ordered and I’m thrilled!)
  • Lipstick photos for spring were tweeted by @Nordstrombeauty which you can see here
  • NaturalNChicMakeup swatched all items on her hand
The collection has a mixture of neutrals and brights for lipsticks and glosses along with a neutral shimmery trench-coat color eyeshadow. The look is fresh but natural for this season. I don’t have the breakdown for the look but my guess is that the model appears to be wearing Devon Sunset Lipstick with Blossom Blush. {Via Nordstrom.com}

I ordered from the San Francisco Nordstrom store. All my experiences have been absolutely phenomenal. I really appreciate how well-trained and knowledgeable the Burberry artists are. They know their colors well and have always been able to help with comparisons in their own line. They also give excellent advice on how to coordinate colors. My picks: Pale Barley No. 22 Eyeshadow, Tulip Pink No. 27 Lipstick, Devon Sunset No. 28 Lipstick, Hibiscus No. 13 Lipgloss & Nude Rose No. 14 Lipgloss.

Swatches to come soon. I’ve only played with Pale Barley Eyeshadow and the Tulip Pink Lipstick so far but initial impressions are a huge thumbs up. The quality of Burberry’s eyeshadows is excellent with a buttery soft blendable texture that melts into the skin. Please hold your questions until I post individual reviews – I will say that Pale Barley is different from anything else in the Burberry Eyeshadow Collection. It looks similar to Gold Trench in the photos but it’s quite different when put together side by side.

Burberry Beauty is available in the US at a few select Nordstrom locations. The counters I know of include South Coast Plaza, San Francisco, Bellevue and Chicago. I believe there may be a few more. The entire collection is also available online at Nordstrom.com.
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