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Burberry Beauty Rosewood: The Lipstick, Lip Gloss & Eyeshadow

September 2, 2010
The new Burberry Beauty line has still managed to capture my heart with even more cravings as I was able to visit a counter for the second time this past weekend. On this occasion I visited the location at Nordstrom in San Francisco and was thoroughly impressed with the two Burberry reps I met with – especially with their extensive background and knowledge of the cosmetics industry. They were spot on in describing the avid Burberry Beauty customer, the type of woman who knows what she wants and appreciates the details in everything down to the packaging design and functionality. I added quite a few more products to my Burberry collection (blush, lipgloss, eyeshadow, pencils) – all of which I will review in the upcoming weeks.

I wanted to feature all the Rosewoods in their lineup: the Lipstick #04, the Lipgloss #01 and the Eyeshadow #09. Here are the photos and swatches, read on below for my descriptions.



Swatched on bare skin:

I had already featured Rosewood Lipstick ($30) back in July (Burberry Beauty Soft Cover Satin Lip Cover Lipsticks). I’ve been told this has been their best seller and is currently out of stock company-wide (although I cannot confirm this myself). It’s a lovely cameleon-like color: in the tube it’s a lovely brownish rose with gold shimmer. On my hand it’s a rosey pink. On my lips, it’s a medium-deep browned rose. The shimmer is very subtle so I wouldn’t call it a frost. It’s soft and creamy with a slightly glowy finish. The pigment and coverage is good – but will probably look different on you depending on your natural lip tone. See it on a Chanel Cameo here from Cafe Makeup. FYI I am a Chanel Shell (as seen below). I have been smitten with this!

This past trip to SF, I knew I had to add the Rosewood Lipgloss ($27), even though it was very different from the lipstick with the same name. The lipgloss is a soft light nude-mauve. I hear this has been selling well too. I find it almost identical to Nutmeg (which is just more brown, less pink/mauve – to be reviewed soon). It’s creamy, non-shimmery, and very glossy with an opaque finish. I find it lighter than the lipstick version, but still very pretty.


I also finally caved on Rosewood Eyeshadow ($29). I initially thought it would be too mauve for my skintone. Yes, it’s a lovely taupe shimmer in the compact, but on the skin it pulls purple, especially on the back of my hand and arm. On the eyes, it’s not so purpley, so I would say the swatch might be slightly deceiving. Check out Diane’s review on Orange To LA and Amy’s review on Cafe Makeup for more swatches and thoughts on this gorgeous eyeshadow.



Overall thoughts: Classic, natural, yet polished. It’s pure love and definitely worth every penny.
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Burberry Beauty – Cameo Lipstick #02

August 4, 2010

So I’ve raved about the Burberry Beauty line and still love everything I’ve bought. Well almost everything. The eyeshadows and blush are my favorite items – all of which I’ve been getting regular use out of. The lipsticks are creamy and divine, yet I have one exception for my gushing adoration. The exception is Cameo Lipstick #02. I tried this on in the store and liked it, but after wearing it at home for a few days, I just don’t love it. I’ve finally found a lipstick that is too neutral even for me.


Cameo Lipstick is a sheer peachy-nude beige. Swatches amazingly (see here). Applies less-than-amazing on the lips, just like my lip color. Not my-lips-but-better, just like my exact lip shade. I think if the texture were a little more matte and a little less creamy, the color in the tube might show up better rather than just blending with my lip. This one seems extra creamy which leaves a more glossy looking finish on my lips. There is a subtle shimmer/sheen to it, but it’s not a full on frost. I didn’t get the Cameo Lipgloss – it was a shimmery apricot, almost orangey looking next to the lipstick.

Still, this is simply my own personal preference. You don’t have to take my word for it – if you can get to a Nordstrom counter, I still recommend you try it on. I like Cameo Pink more because it shows up better on my skintone. Those who want a natural beige nude lip without looking washed out will probably like this one. Also I feel like I’m probably *right* at that skin-tone where it looks very natural. Fairer skinned girls will like this more than me. Darker skinned girls, I think this will look stunning on you as it will contrast with your skintone better.


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Chanel Taupe-Délicat & Misty-Soft Ombres Contraste Duos & Gris Stylo Yeux

August 3, 2010
Chanel has released a new collection of Eyeshadow Duos called Ombres Contraste Duo ($42) along with a new mascara called Inimitable Intense. Also in the collection are a few repromoted Stylo Yeux Waterproof Eyeliners ($28). I picked up Taupe-Délicat & Misty-Soft Duos and the new Gris Eyeliner. The eyeshadow duos are all on the neutral side and very basic for a neutral eye. Each duo has one side that is darker with a satin finish (not quite matte, not quite shimmer), and then one other side that is paler more shimmery. Taupe-Délicat is your basic soft neutral brown and a shimmery pale champagne with a slight pinkish sheen. Misty-Soft is has purple tones on me. One side is a brown with plum, the other is a soft light mauve-purple.

I’ve already reviewed my Stylo Yeux Eyeliners a few days ago here. Gris is their newest addition which is a light-medium cool grey. At the counter at Nordstrom, it looked like a full matte. However at home in different light, it looks like it has a subtle sheen.

Taupe-Délicat 20, Misty-Soft 40 and Gris 35



Gris Stylo Yeux 35

Swatches of Taupe-Delicat, Misty-Soft and Gris compared to my other grey eyeliners, Chanel Black Shimmer, MAC Wolf, MAC Earthline, MAC Dig It!, Laura Mercier Stormy Grey, Bobbi Brown Graphite, Bobbi Brown Gunmetal


I definitely love the Gris eyeliner. It makes Black Shimmer look black (when it’s actually more greyish compared to a true black, like here). It goes perfectly with NARS Tzarine Eyeshadow Duo. The eyeshadow duos are lovely, but I don’t think they are worth the high price tag. At $42, I personally would rather have another Burberry Blush. Just my two cents. If I didn’t have a gift card, I probably wouldn’t have purchased both. Granted, I know I will definitely get a lot of use out of both in the upcoming weeks (currently interviewing). They are perfect neutrals for everyday wear. Subtle but sophisticated to give a pretty soft eye-look.


For other swatches of the other shades, check out Yuki’s Lazy Channel here. She has amazing photos and swatches. Unfortunately, in the U.S. we didn’t get the new mascara or eyelash curler that Asia did.

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Burberry Light Glow Natural Blush Peony

July 26, 2010

When I saw the Burberry Beauty line at Nordstrom I was most surprised by the blushes, mainly because they were nothing like what I expected. Based on the online photos, I was expecting softer more nude and brown based colors. The actual product is very different – darker than I had anticipated, but the colors are still very pretty. The blushes are called Light Glow – Natural Blush $42, I find appropriately named, because they really give a glow. All the colors I looked at had a slight shimmer to medium shimmer. I tried on Cameo a lovely pink, but it went on too dark for my taste. The artist suggested Peony which looked extremely pale and powdery looking but I was pleasantly surprised.

Peony is a soft natural pink. The blushes are all very pigmented but the texture is soft making them easy to blend and layer for that natural blush finish.


No flash:


Compared to a few other pinks, they look strikingly similar to Edward Bess’s Soft Orchid and Chanel Narcisse. The difference is noticeable once on the skin. EB Soft Orchid is cooler toned and I also find this one softer/sheerer in finish. Chanel Narcisse has a more powdery-looking finish because of the shimmer in it. I would say that Burberry’s Blush finish seems similar to that of Chanel Narcisse (the US version). Out of all my Chanel blushes, for some reason I find Narcisse the softest. All are swatched over a mixture of MAC Prep & Prime, Armani Lasting Silk 5.5+6.5.





How I swatch my blushes on my arm:

I also had my eye on Russet and Blossom. They were sold out of Russet and I decided to wait on Blossom. Diane from Orange To LA has an amazing photo of Blossom which has me drooling with slight regret that I didn’t buy it too.

At $42 these are fairly pricey. I’m not sure how I feel about the price. At this time, it’s cheaper than Armani ($43) and D&G ($44) the same as Chanel ($42). More than Dior ($40) which I’m not a huge fan of because they are so sheer. Prices keep going up which I’m not really happy about. I guess it’s something we all have to deal with. In my mind, I think ideally a blush should be $35-ish maximum.

In my mind I still feel like skincare, foundation, brushes and powder should be the only items that exceed $45. Still doesn’t stop me. Personally I would love to have less fancy packaging with no brush in the compact for a lower price. I never end up using those brushes anyways. One reason I love Bobbi Brown individual blushes and eyeshadows, along with NARS.

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Burberry Lip Glow Natural Lipgloss: Tea Rose #05, Cameo Pink #07 and Nude Beige #09

July 22, 2010
Burberry Lip Glow Natural Lip Gloss ($27) comes in 12 different shades ranging from pale mauve, beige, tan, pink and red. These are packaged in a clear tube with a sponge tip applicator. The formula is smooth and pigmented, although I will say the testers at the counter had their tips cut off for sanitary reasons and the disposable wands at the counter did not pick up the color like the actual product tip does. Therefore, if you try these at the counter and find them sheer it is most likely the tester tip that is affecting the application. They have a soft almost powdery scent that isn’t too strong. Lasting power is medium as with most glosses. I like that these are non-sticky. They have enough pigment to wear alone, but are lovely over the Burberry Lipsticks to enhance the color of your lips.

The beautiful packaging:

I picked up three shades in 05 Tea Rose (creamy cool pink, no shimmer), 07 Cameo Pink (shimmery warm pink with slight coral tones) and 09 Nude Beige (nude beige-peach with a very slight sparkle). I reviewed Cameo Pink Lipgloss compared to the Lipstick yesterday. I can’t recall what Tea Rose Lipstick looked like exactly, but I believe it was even more blue-based and cooler toned than the Tea Rose Lipgloss. Nude Beige Lipstick is significantly paler than the Lipgloss version. I found the Nude Beige lipstick too pale for my skin, but the lipgloss version is very wearable.

L to R: Tea Rose, Cameo Pink, Nude Beige

Close up, top to bottom: Tea Rose, Cameo Pink, Nude Beige




The lipstick and lipgloss line up, L to R:
Lipsticks – Cameo, Cameo Pink, Rosewood, Antique Rose
Lipglosses – Tea Rose, Cameo Pink, Nude Beige


I found these at Nordstrom at South Coast Plaza.

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Burberry Cameo Pink Lipstick #03 and Lipgloss #07

July 21, 2010
Cameo Pink Lipstick #03 and Lipgloss #07 are probably my two favorites lip colors out of all the shades I tried from the new Burberry Beauty line. Both are warm pinks with just the right amount of brightness to bring a pretty pink glow. Cameo Pink Lipstick #03 has subtle microsparkles but is more of a cream than a shimmer. The Lipgloss Cameo Pink #07 has an iridescent frost to it. Looks like it would be frosty from the tube and swatch on the back of my hand, but on the lips it blends out more naturally. Combine the two (lipstick + lipgloss) and you get a more intensified look. Still natural but just with a bit more kick.

Both have a subtle scent which I am still trying to put my finger on. It’s noticeable when you apply but fades shortly after. I reviewed the lipsticks already – creamy, lightweight, moisturizing with medium coverage. The lipglosses are also creamy with a medium thickness. They come with a sponge tip applicator and have a smooth non-tacky texture. I’m still testing out the other two I purchased, but Cameo Pink is definitely a winner. The gloss has a similar texture to Dior Addicts, but with a tad less slip and more pigment.




Just the lipstick Cameo Pink #03 (also wearing Burberry’s Foundation in #5 which I am testing out this week, the verdict is still out on this one):


I couldn’t capture a good photo with the Cameo Pink lipstick + gloss, this is the best I could do. Lip swatches are hard to photograph!

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Burberry Beauty Soft Satin Lip Cover Lipsticks

July 20, 2010
The Soft Satin Lipsticks ($30) from the Burberry Beauty are luxurious with rich pigment, beautiful packaging, moisturizing yet lightweight feel and have a medium coverage finish. I found the colors to be unique and with a diverse range from neutral to medium to dark colors. All seemed to be classic but natural wearable lip colors in shades of pink, rose, plum, brown, red. There was a subtle scent but neither Diane nor I could identify what it was. The sales associate mentioned the lipsticks were infused with a number of natural oils which could account for what we smelled.


I was naturally drawn to the neutrals: pinks, peaches and brown-rosey colors. There were a number of beautiful deeper reds and plums but it was a hot day outside, neither of us were really in the fall mode for lips. While the colors I picked out might not seem all that unique, I have to reiterate that these are much better in person than in photos. The natural colors are very wearable and don’t require any tweaking with lipliner or lipgloss to make them work, at least for me.

The four I picked out:
  • Cameo #02 – nude peachy color
  • Cameo Pink #03 – similar to Cameo, a brighter version with pink
  • Rosewood #04 – complex combination of brown-rose, slightly shimmery
  • Antique Rose #11 – natural cream pink





Many have already e-mailed me asking how these lipsticks compare to other brands such as Bobbi Brown, Edward Bess, Armani and various luxury brands. It is difficult to compare – I find the Burberry Beauty Lipsticks just different. The colors are very natural and polished. The texture is smooth, lightweight, creamy, medium-full coverage. The colors definitely show up on the lips. I have to say I was surprised by the fact that they felt creamy but lightweight at the same time.

There are a number of lipstick shades that have a corresponding lipgloss with the same name and number. I found that the colors were not identical but it appears they are meant to compliment each other. For example Rosewood Lipgloss is a pale dusty mauve cream which is very different from the Rosewood Lipstick. Cameo Lipstick is a natural peach-nude while the Cameo Lipgloss is a shimmery apricot. Here is the difference between Cameo Pink Lipstick and Lipgloss:

The lipglosses will be reviewed soon. Overall the lipsticks are excellent. Worth every penny in my opinion. The lid shuts with a magnetic snap. I can’t wait to try more.

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