Browsing Tag

Quads

Charlotte Tilbury

A First Look at Charlotte Tilbury Beauty | Eyeshadow Palettes, Colour Chameleon Pencils, Mascara and Eyelash Curler

September 23, 2014

I’ve been playing with Charlotte Tilbury Beauty over the past month and have some items to share with you today. Included in today’s feature is a review on two of her eyeshadow quads, two shadow pencils, mascara and eyelash curler.

What I ordered with swatches of the shadows:

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Colour Chameleon Color Morphing Eyeshadow Pencils in Champagne Diamonds and Amber Haze

I purchased two of the Eyeshadow Pencils in Amber Haze and Champagne Diamonds. These are creamy shadow pencils that set very quickly. I ordered mine sight unseen based on swatches I had seen on other blogs. They looked stunning online but I really should have read the reviews more closely. Amber Haze is a gorgeous warm shimmery copper brown. It applies very nicely on the eyes with super rich pigment. You do need to work with this one quickly because it sets (dries) very fast. When you apply these I recommend having all your brushes ready to blend right after you apply to smooth out harsh edges. Champagne Diamonds glitters like diamonds. This one didn’t work well for me, I found it too glittery and sparkly which made it extremely chunky/gritty feeling on my eyes. The base is pigmented if you pack the pencil on, but once blended it’s pretty sheer on me and all I saw was glitter.

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Eyeshadow Quads in The Rock Chick and Uptown Girl

I ordered my quads from pre-made look sets. The Rock Chick is a smokey eye palette with a soft shimmery pale grey, a satiny medium grey, a deep matte charcoal and a glittery silvery shade. When I first saw these online I thought the glitter might be problematic for me and for all of those who prefer more conservative shadows. I was really surprised to find the glittery shade in The Rock Chick subtle enough to wear layered over the darkest shade for a pop of sparkle. The pigment of all the shadows is incredible, I was able to apply on the eyes and blend easily without any eye base required. The darkest matte charcoal color has a really good texture and allows you to get a good smokey eye. I did get some fall out when I applied the glitter on the face, but after it was applied to the eyes it stayed put.

For reference, the Rock Chick swatched next to Tom Ford’s discontinued She Wolf:

Uptown Girl is a cool-toned palette with a soft champagne shimmer, a lavender blue shimmer, a medium plum and a sparkling glittery pale pink. When I saw this one I suspected it might be too lavender/purple for me, but still wanted to give it a try. It’s a lovely palette but way out of my comfort zone with the purple tones. I definitely recommend you research swatches online on other blogs, purples tend to pull really purple on my skin while on others it might not look quite as blueish. The glitter in this one was a bit too much for me to wear comfortably but I suspect it was just the overall undertone of this palette I found too cool in general.

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Full Fat Lashes Mascara and her Life Changing Lashes Eyelash Curler

Charlotte Tilbury’s Mascara currently comes in one shade. It’s called Full Fat Lashes Mascara. On my super straight short lashes this one defined nicely but unfortunately didn’t give much volume or hold curl. If you have thick lashes that only need a little bit of definition I think this will be a good one, but if you’re like me and need serious help with lashes, you might find this one too subtle. (My favorite mascaras here.)

Her eyelash curler comes in a rose gold color. I found it took a few uses to loosen the hinges (the first few times it seemed to stick when I pressed it together). It fits the curve of my eyes nicely so it doesn’t pinch the sides or edges. Her eyelash curler does indeed curl the lashes very nicely. I’m not sure I would call it life changing for me, I prefer Chanel’s and Le Metier de Beaute’s eyelash curlers for my eye shape and for better curling (see my reviews here). Still this is a very good lash curler. I took it with me on a recent weekend getaway and was really pleased with the way it worked.

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Overall thoughts: I’m overall pleased with what I’ve tested from Charlotte Tilbury’s beauty line. I ordered all of my items sight unseen which many of you know can be hit or miss. Her quads are definitely worth a look even if you’re not a fan of glitter shadows. Had I been able to look at her line in person I probably would have skipped Uptown Girl and opted for one of the matte quads or something with warm tones. I really like The Rock Chick for a classic smokey eyeshadow palette. You can layer the colors for more intensity or blend them for something more subtle.

For her shadow pencils, Amber Haze is absolutely gorgeous although you do need to work very quickly with it. Once it sets it stays put like nothing else I’ve tried. Champagne Diamonds was a complete miss for me, but this is because I’m super picky when it comes to glitter in eyeshadows.

I can’t call her mascara a must-have for me – it came in two of the sets I bought otherwise I wouldn’t have purchased it (I gifted my second one to someone else to try).

Her eyelash curler is a nice to have but not must-have for me. I do believe finding the right lash curler depends on the shape of your eye and how deep-set they are. This one has a nice curve and is wide enough so it doesn’t pinch the corners of your eyes. For me, I do have others that I prefer but the Charlotte Tilbury version is still good.

Have you checked out Charlotte Tilbury’s line? What are your favorites? Or any other thoughts on anything you’ve tried and tested? I don’t have easy access to see the items in person so I’m living vicariously through those who have tested and swatched it.

You can find the Charlotte Tilbury beauty line in the US online at Nordstrom, Net-a-Porter, Bergdorf Goodman and Beautylish.

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Charlotte Tilbury

Charlotte Tilbury Beauty – Preview of The Beauty Look Book Picks

September 3, 2014

Beauty fans will be thrilled to know that Charlotte Tilbury’s beauty line has finally launched in the US. The range has launched online first at CharlotteTilbury.com, Nordstrom, Bergdorf Goodman, Net-A-Porter and BeautyLish starting September 2nd. Later this fall, the line will launch in select stores starting October 7th at Bergdorf Goodman in NYC and October 10th at Nordstrom at The Grove in Los Angeles. Launch events will also be hosted with Nordstrom in other cities including Dallas, Houston, Chicago, Orange County, Washington D.C. and Las Vegas through Spring 2015.

I fell head over heels in love with the Filmstar Killer Cheekbones Set which was available at Nordstrom during the Anniversary Sale. I couldn’t wait for the line to launch in the US so I decided order a few of her look sets from the UK site along with some other items. I’ll have detailed reviews on all the items, but many of you have asked for a preview post wanting to know what I ordered and whether I thought the sets were worth it (versus buying items individually).

I did quite a bit of research when trying to decide what to buy. Some of the lipsticks and lip glosses looked extremely brown in stock photos so I relied heavily on blog swatches to help me pick out colors. I went with two of the sets simply because I found it easier to purchase an entire look rather than mix and match items. There are definitely duplicates in some of the sets with items such as mascara, makeup bag and some liners. (I gifted my extra makeup bag and mascara to another beauty friend.)

I ordered my items from the UK site and Paypal converted Pounds to Dollars. I think the prices I paid were slightly higher in the UK versus US prices, current US retail prices listed below. (Note all items are available individually as well).
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The Rock Chick Set ($225) includes:

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The Uptown Girl Set ($225) includes:

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Wonderglow Instant Soft-Focus Beauty Flash ($52)
Beach Sticks Bronze and Blush in Ibiza and Moonbeach (not yet available in the US)

There is a lot to digest with her line – it all looks so overwhelmingly good. I’ll have reviews posted in the next week by category: face, eyes and lips with thoughts and swatches. I’m still happy I ordered the sets although you don’t really save all that much buying a set versus individual items. I normally like to pick out items individually rather than stick to one preset look, but the color combinations are really good and easy to use for ideas. Even though I look nothing like the model used for each look, I found the looks helpful to see how soft or dramatic items would look on another face.

I’ve had really good experiences so far. I’m relieved since I spent a small fortune and bought everything sight unseen. More thoughts soon.

You can find Charlotte Tilbury in the US online at CharlotteTilbury.com, Nordstrom, Bergdorf Goodman, Net-A-Porter and BeautyLish.

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Eye Makeup Tom Ford Beauty

Tom Ford Nude Dip Eye Color Quad | Fall 2014

September 2, 2014

 

Tom Ford Nude Dip Eye Color Quad ($79 for .21 oz/6 g, made in Italy) is a stunning palette of shimmery pearlized neutrals. The colors are suitable for everyday and also for evening. I find the color combination and texture pure genius. I think The Non-Blonde put it perfectly when she described the finish as “modern semi-metallics.” Café Makeup also has a really lovely review. The shadows are very smooth but they have a unique texture which gives each color dimension. The colors are shimmery but in a super wearable way. This is a quad that is a bit hard to track down. It sold out online within a few days so I ordered mine over the phone.

 

Some have asked me if I think this really is a must-have or if I thought it would just be a must-have for die hard Tom Ford fans. Based on my testing and counter visits, I haven’t loved all of the Tom Ford quads. Many of the palettes have this high shine glitter which I’m not super comfortable pulling off. I purchased a couple when the line initially launched and ended up selling them used because I couldn’t wear the glitter. More recent quad releases with Orchid Haze and Seductive Rose have given us more options with texture and more shimmer that I find easier to wear for the conservative makeup lover. Nude Dip falls into the category of love. It has a similar texture to the limited-edition Enchanted Quad from last fall (now discontinued). So yes, I do think Nude Dip is a must-have for the season.

 

 

The colors in Nude Dip are timeless neutrals. Each color layers beautifully over each other. In many softer light neutral quads, you end up getting at least 2-3 shades that look exactly the same once applied on the skin. With Nude Dip, each color has enough variation to give a good layered look. There is a soft champagne, a medium peach, a soft taupe grey and a satiny brown.

 

 

 

 

 

On my eyes it pulls more neutral and slightly cool. On fairer skins or those with pink undertones this will pull more neutral-warm. You can see it pulls warm on The Non-Blonde and more neutral on Café Makeup. Each color is multi-dimensional with different colored pearl pigments. In some light you will see more cool-tones due to the reflection. In others you’ll see more of the base which is warmer.

 

 

 

 

 

Close ups:

 

 

Some swatched comparisons: Chanel Tisse Mademoiselle is cooler and more subtle, Tom Ford Enchanted (discontinued) is significantly cooler and more pink, Dior Iridescent Leather (discontinued) has been added for another comparison.

 

 

 

Nude Dip is pure love. It’s easy to wear with a nice pearlized texture which adds dimension to the eyes without being too frosty. I purchased mine from a Saks store over the phone. It’s currently sold out online in the US, but keep checking Nordstrom, Saks, Neiman Marcus and Tom Ford – they might restock.  Update – thanks to my readers for letting me know as of 8:00 PM PST it’s up online at Nordstrom! Second update at 9:25 PM, sold out online. As of May 2015, it’s been re-introduced and added to the permanent lineup.

 

Did you pick up Nude Dip? What did you think? You can find it at select Tom Ford counters. Online at Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue and Sephora.
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Chanel Eye Makeup

Chanel Les 4 Ombres Multi-Effect Quadra Eyeshadows | Tissé Mademoiselle, Tissé Vénitien, Tissé Vendôme, Tissé Gabrielle

August 28, 2014

I have four more shades of the Chanel Les 4 Ombres Multi-Effect Quadra Eyeshadows to share with you today. After falling in love with Poésie and Tissé Rivoli I decided to look at the other colors in more detail. I picked up Chanel Les 4 Ombres in Tissé Mademoiselle 214, Tissé Vénitien 232, Tissé Vendôme 204, and Tissé Gabrielle 208 ($61 each for 2 g/0.07 oz, made in Italy).

I had my eye on the neutrals initially but one of my favorite Chanel artists recommended I try Gabrielle and Venitien as well for more color and something different. All the quads have some degree of shimmer in each color. I found each quad to be well pigmented, some are more subtle than others. After testing all six quads that I now own, I think Tisse Rivoli and Poesie are still my favorites. If you find these don’t adhere well to your eyes, I recommend using a slightly dewy base. Edward Bess Illuminating Eye Base is my absolute favorite for evening the lids without making them look flat or dry. It sets after a few minutes but retails a slightly dewy texture for shadows to adhere well. It will help bring out the color without changing the shadow (some super matte eye bases end up looking very dry and change the colors of shadows by dulling them).

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Tissé Mademoiselle is a neutral quad with a satiny tan, satin cream, shimmery light peach champagne and a dusty fawn brown, all the colors have some variation of shimmer, on my Chanel B30 skin, this is very nude almost matching my skin color. If you start applying the colors from lightest to darkest it will all kinda blend in and blur. My recommendation with this is to start with the medium shade first and pack it onto the lids (top left corner shade), then layer the soft champagne (bottom left corner) and use the darkest shade to smudge on top. Finish with the palest color to highlight or blend any edges.

Here it is compared to Dunes (discontinued):

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Tissé Vénitien has a stunning mix of green, metallic silver, soft sheer pink and deep green. I’m normally not a fan of greens but this one is really lovely when layered together. The greens pop if you layer them over a black or brown liner with a dense smudge brush (I like Laura Mercier’s Smudge Brush or Corner Eye Brush for darker detail colors.)

Here it is compared to Murano (also discontinued):
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Tissé Vendôme is a another neutral palette. It has a tan brown shimmer, soft peach, apricot shimmer and deeper satiny brown. For this one I also recommend starting with the medium/middle shade (top left brown) and applying it all over the lids. Add the coral on top to blend and the darkest brown (bottom right) to intensify/define the lids. Finish with the lightest color as a highlight. You can of course apply this from lightest to darkest or whichever way you like the most. Some have mentioned that the colors all blend together (except for the darkest color) and end up looking the same on the lids. I personally like layering lightest to darkest, but with some quads, I like to start with the medium shades first.

Compared next to Shimmering Dunes (also discontinued, please excuse photo typo):

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Tissé Gabrielle is a smokey eye palette. It’s not the traditional grey/white/black smokey which makes this unique. I found the colors to be well pigmented but the colors went on lighter in color than what I expected.

I didn’t have anything similar, but here it is compared to Variation 37:

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Bottom line: new and definitely improved. I’ve always been a fan of Chanel quads for their neutral fool-proof easy to use combinations. I know not everyone has liked them as much as I have due to the sheerness of the colors. The new Les 4 Ombres Multi-Effect Quadra Eyeshadows have much better pigment and a super smooth texture. There is a diverse range of color options including blues, pinks and purples (which I didn’t gravitate towards but are still really stunning).

If I were to pick my top three, it would be Poesie, Tisse Rivoli and Tisse Venitien.

The Les 4 Ombres Multi-Effect Quadra Eyeshadows retail for $61 each. You can find these quads now at all Chanel counters and boutiques. They are also available online at Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Saks, Bloomingdales and Chanel.com.

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Chanel Eye Makeup

Chanel Les 4 Ombres Multi-Effect Quadra Eyeshadow | Poésie #234 and Tissé Rivoli #226

July 15, 2014

Chanel just released nine new Les 4 Ombres Multi-Effect Quadra Eyeshadows in the US ($61 each for 2g/0.07 oz). I’ve been eagerly waiting for these quads to arrive in the US and am so happy they are finally here. I purchased two of the shades in Poésie #234 (limited-edition) and Tissé Rivoli #226. These come in the round pan format but the formula is different from most non-US quads that come with the round shapes. The texture is slightly creamy with amazing pigment and shimmer. They blend well on the lids without any base needed. The pigment is truly incredible and very easy to control. I’ve been a huge fan of the regular Les 4 Ombres (US versions) – I think the new ones are even better.

Poésie #234 is a limited-edition shade. It showed up online at Chanel.com and Macy’s for a limited time but currently isn’t listed. I contacted Nordstrom once the quads launched to see if Poésie would be listed and was told it is an in-store exclusive. I’m not sure if it will show up online again or not but you may need to track it down in stores like I did. It’s a stunning quad with a warm tan beige shimmer, an ivory shimmer, a dark blackened smokey brown-plum and a soft lilac shimmer. This is great for an everyday eye but the black shade is amazing for a smokey eye look.

Tissé Rivoli #226 is a neutral palette with warm neutral shades. It has a similar effect on me when I compare it to Poesie, but the Tisse Rivoli is slightly warmer and some of the shades are a tiny bit more sparkly. I don’t think you need both, but they are both really stunning.

Here they are swatched side by side, note that the shimmers are highly reflective so they look more shimmery in the photos than they are in real life. These were swatched with the sponge applicator:

I pulled a few other palettes to compare:

Fitting all the quads on one arm proved to be impossible so I have two sets of swatches. Comparisons show that Raffinement is very similar to Poesie and Tisse Rivoli:
Chanel Kaska Beige (discontinued)

Chanel Rives (discontinued)

Overall a huge thumbs up for both the new Les 4 Ombres in Poésie #234 and Tissé Rivoli #226. For those who like easy to use palettes with colors that are easy to combine these are perfect. Sometimes I get overwhelmed with larger palettes (although I do love them), having four coordinates shades makes life easier to create polished looks. I find both similar, Poesie gives me more of a smokey eye while Tisse Rivoli is more neutral but slightly more glitzy. I can’t choose between them.

Eight of the Les 4 Ombres Multi-Effect Quadra Eyeshadow are available now online at Nordstrom and Chanel.com. These should be arriving at your counters soon, I spotted these near me at Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus.

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Uncategorized

MAC Sharon Osbourne Collection Picks | Duchess Eyeshadow Quad, Bijou and Pussywillow Lipglass

June 11, 2014

The MAC Sharon and Kelly Osbourne collaboration is my favorite MAC release this year. Items have already launched online and will be available in stores and counters this Thursday June 12th. The entire collection features limited-edition products and as with most popular MAC releases many items sold out online within the first few hours of the launch.

I was able to get three items on my wishlist: the Sharon Osbourne Duchess Eyeshadow Quad ($44) along with the two Sharon Osbourne Lipglasses ($16.50 each) in Bijou and Pussywillow. If you’re contemplating whether or not to get these, my recommendation is a huge yes to all three. The colors are naturally flattering and look amazing on every other blogger I’ve read reviews on, all with different skintones and hair color. Swatched below:

Duchess Eyeshadow Quad has four warmish neutrals, the only shade you can purchase individually right now is Embark. All the others appear to be exclusive to this quad. I found the pigment to be really good – the Veluxe Pearl formula is one of the best MAC has. The colors:

  • Sweet Eyes (Veluxe Pearl) is a pearly pale champagne gold and ivory shimmer
  • Sexy Eyes (Veluxe Pearl) is a soft pinky copper shimmer
  • Femme Fatale (Satin) is a warmer copper shimmer
  • Embark (Matte) is a matte brown (on me it looks more satiny)

Although MAC Duchess has colors that can probably be easily duplicated by other brands, I really like this one because it has just the right amount of shimmer and isn’t overly frosted. The closest I have is Chanel Spices which is sheerer, lighter and more subdued. MAC Duchess by comparison is darker, warmer and more pigmented.

Bijou Lipglass is the perfect nude mauvey pink. I think I will need a back up (it’s that good). It does settle into the lip lines a bit if you don’t blend well but it’s not too obvious and can be easily blended out. Pussywillow Lipglass is a stunning gold shimmer. It looks better in person and for me it has enough color to wear alone without washing out the complexion.

Some comparisons below to MAC Nice Buzz Plushglass, Burberry Nude Glow Lip Glow, MAC Naked Space (discontinued), MAC Summer Crop (discontinued), MAC Rich & Witty (discontinued), MAC Angel Lipglass and MAC Lust Lipglass.

Overall love. I will be at the counters this Thursday trying to get both of the blushes (which sold out online literally in the blink of an eye). I’m undecided on the other items as they look like they are nice to have but perhaps dupe-able. The Kelly collection looks a bit cool-toned for my olive skin tone but if you’ve tried any items I’d love to hear your thoughts.

The Sharon Osbourne Duchess Quad, Bijou Lipglass and Pussywillow Lipglass are all limited-edition and currently still available online now at Nordstrom, Macy’s and maccosmetics.com. Available in MAC stores and counters starting Thursday June 12th.

Did you get anything from the Kelly or Sharon Osbourne collection? What else do you think I should check out?

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Uncategorized

MAC Pedro Lourenço Nude Eyeshadow Quad | Limited-Edition

June 5, 2014

The MAC Pedro Lourenço Nude Eyeshadow Quad ($44, limited-edition) is a stunning neutral palette. It has the perfect combination of soft rose, champagne, and reddish bronze to create a number of polished looks. I’ve had this on my radar for a few weeks now and I’m glad I was able to purchase one before it sold out. It has four colors in Pink Sands (a soft cool matte rose), All That Glitters (shimmery champagne), Rose Cloud (interesting matte brown, both cool and neutral with a bit of warmth) and Sable (warm bronze/copper frost). Two of the colors All That Glitters and Sable are available individually and even though I already own both in Pro-Palette Form, I still felt this quad was worth purchasing for the convenience and packaging. Plus the other two colors are really good mattes that have good pigment and texture.

What I like about this quad is that it has a good mix of neutral, cool and warm tones making it flattering on a number of skin tones. It’s one that I think will flatter those with pink tones or olive.

Here it is swatched on my olive/medium Chanel 30 skin, on me it pulls more warm. On darker skins I suspect there will be a bit more contrast and the shades will look a bit more neutral-cool.

Some have commented that it resembles the Urban Decay Naked3 Palette (review/swatches here). There are some similarities in the concept in that both Pedro Lourenço Nude and Urban Decay Naked3 have that soft feminine rose-gold theme. I swatched a few shades side by side to compare, I think they are different enough to justify both. The MAC is slightly more neutral/warm and also more subtle. The Urban Decay, while I still find natural, has more dramatic options with more frosted textures. I also pulled a few other shades from MAC.

Comparisons below: MAC Aria (discontinued), MAC Malt, MAC Kid (discontinued), Urban Decay Naked3

Overall a huge winner in my book and it’s a palette I highly recommend. I’ve only been able to wear this a couple days so far but it applies quite well with soft velvety textures. The shadows are not quite as velvety/buttery like Urban Decay or Burberry, but they are still very good. The MAC Pedro Lourenço Nude is a quad I know I will be wearing down to the pan.

The MAC Pedro Lourenço Nude Eyeshadow Quad ($44) is available as a limited-edition palette. I recommend you order or track this down at your local counter or store very soon as other items from the collection have already sold out online at lightening speed.

Available online at Nordstrom, Macy’s, Bloomingdales and maccosmetics.com.

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