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On My Radar / New In Beauty

January 3, 2015

Happy weekend everyone! New spring collections and launches are starting to trickle in. Spring seems to be filled with some lovely pinks and roses. A few things on my beauty radar, from top left clockwise:

Guerlain Spring is filled with soft delicate pinks. I have my eye on the Les Precieux Eyeshadow Palette, Rosy Silk and Peach Satin Kiss Kiss Lipsticks and Baby Rose Nail Lacquer.

Diptyque’s latest is the Rose and Ivy Collection. There is a new candle out called Rosafolia. Available now at online Diptyque and in Diptyque Boutiques. In addition there is a new scented oval and perfume released with the collection.

NARS Eye-Opening Act is a new launch exclusive to Nordstrom. I will have a review out next week. It includes St. Lucia Multiple (which is stunning!), two eyeshadow palettes in Yeux Irresistible and Inoubliable Coup d’Oeil along with five new Velvet Shadow Sticks.

Hourglass Cosmetics has new Eyeshadow Palettes coming out this spring called Modernist Eyeshadow Palettes. Infinity is the first one released, available now at Barneys New York. I can’t wait to see this in person.

Dior Kingdom of Colors has two new Nail Lacquers in Glory and Lady for spring. There is also a really interesting Top Coat that looks like confetti.   

YSL Volupté Tint-In-Oil is a lip tint suspended in oil. It comes in eight colors. I’ve read mixed reviews but I have three sitting in my shopping cart. I can’t decide whether or not to pull the trigger and buy without testing first. 

Bite Beauty has a new Agave Lip Mask in Smashed which is a berry hue. I am putting this one to the test right now and hope to have a full review with swatches later next week.

The Sephora + Pantone Universe Shimmering Marsala Cheek Trio keeps calling my name. I think it’s only a matter of time before I cave and purchase this too. If you bought it, I’d love to hear your thoughts. 

What’s on your beauty radar this weekend?

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Sephora + Pantone Universe Pure Marsala Matte Lip Creme & Facets of Marsala Multi-Finish Eye Palette

January 2, 2015

The Sephora + Pantone Universe Color of the Year is Marsala and there are some beautiful options for lips, cheeks and eyes that have been released. In this year’s color collection we have:
I have two items to share with you today (and a giveaway too!). First up is the Pure Marsala Matte Lip Creme. This is a full coverage cream lipstick. It’s labeled as a matte finish color but I didn’t find it to be a true matte. It has a creamy feel with a slight sheen making it look more plush than a pure matte. This is the first Sephora branded lipstick I’ve tried and I found the pigment and coverage phenomenal. There’s no added fragrance although it does have a slight lipstick scent. On me it’s a dark pink wine color but not so dark that it’s a vamp shade. It is darker than what I am normally used to wearing but I found the color naturally flattering. If you want a darker lip but don’t want something quite as dramatic as a vampy shade, this is a good in between transition color. Texture is very smooth and glides on the lips easily. I found lasting power to be very good.

Here it is swatched with two swipes each lip, I found that if you layer it with a few more swipes, you can get a deeper more pigmented/vampy dark lip look:

A few comparisons to other shades (previous reviews are linked):

Charlotte Tilbury Stoned Rose (review soon)

Next up is the Facets of Marsala Multi-Finish Eye Palette. This is an impressive palette with 24 pigmented shades. The focus is primarily on reddish burgundy shades, but there is a good mix of others in the palette to coordinate with the reds. The colors in this palette are very much outside of my comfort zone although during makeovers artists often like to use warmer sable shades or wine shades on my eyes layered to warm up the entire look. I’ve experimented with some (like the wine shimmers from Le Metier de Beaute Kaleidoscopes) but use the color in small doses. This palette has a wide range of finishes and textures. Most of mattes are good if used as a liner or smokey eye, some of the textures of the mattes are a bit chalky if you try to use them all over the lid. I think they are best layered for added depth or as a liner. The shimmers range from glitter to finely milled shimmer to chunky sparkle. There are a few finely milled shimmers that have a very smooth easy to blend texture. Some of the chunkier shimmers have fallout when you apply them, but I found they did adhere ok to the lids once they were on the eyes. The glitters weren’t my favorite (I’m not a fan of glitter eyeshadows in general), but I’m still experimenting with them.  I think performance and quality does varies per shade.

Colors are swatched by row:

  • Autumn Blonde is a pale matte bone colored base with silver glitters, this one was very powdery and chalky on my skin
  • Toasted Nut is a shimmering pumpkin color, it has a medium-to-high frost with a smooth texture
  • Marsala Matte is a pigmented matte red wine color
  • Marsala Satin is a pigmented semi-matte/semi-shimmer red wine
  • Shifting Sand is a chunky silver with a high frost, there was fallout when applying this shade, but once it’s on the lids it stays put
  • Cocoa Brown is a satiny cool brown with a slight sheen

  • Burro is a neutral cool satiny matte color, it has a slight sheen but on the eyes goes on matte
  • Deep Taupe is a cool-toned bark brown that looks more blue on my skin
  • Marsala Metallic is a shimmering red wine, it has a smooth texture, I found it easy to blend and layer with other eyeshadow shades
  • Marsala Glitter is a red wine with red and silver tiny glitters
  • Kelp is a warm olive gold metallic, it has finely milled shimmer
  • Dusty Olive is a darker metallic olive, it also has good pigment and finely milled shimmer

  • Desert Mist is a highly frosted buttercream gold
  • Butterum is a medium golden copper metallic sparkle
  • Macaroon is a satiny tan with a hint of camel and pink
  • Chutney is a reddish matte red
  • Nimbus Cloud is a chunky cool-toned silvery white sparkle
  • Moonlight Blue is a sheer glittering blue, you can get more pigment if you layer it with a damp brush or over a liner but alone it’s pretty sheer

The last row of colors includes my favorites in the palette:

  • Carob Brown is a satiny medium-warm brown, it’s primarily a matte but has a slightly reflective quality when layered and swatched in a large area
  • Bracken is a dark chocolate cool brown base with gold shimmer loaded into it
  • Russet is a warm matte brown, this also looks satiny because of the flash, but it performs like a matte
  • Hot Chocolate is a warm reddish brown matte
  • Castor Grey is a duo-chrome metallic similar in concept to MAC Club Eyeshadow
  • Red Mahogany is a matte plum red brown

I’m really pleased with the quality, pigment and color of the Marsala Lip Creme. It works just like a lipstick should. I think the Eyeshadow Palette is a good value set that will offer a diverse range of colors, textures and finishes. There are a lot of different looks that that you can create with the 24 shades. The quality of the shadows is mixed, but overall it’s a good palette. Color-wise, I’m almost exclusively a neutral eyeshadow wearer but I’ve played with this for a week now and found that I can use some of the reds layered with the cooler-toned shades and it’s very wearable. If you’re at a Sephora store, I definitely recommend you giving this a look.

For the other Marsala beauty items, I’ve played with the lip crayons and blush palette. There are a number of spring releases trickling in stores now so I’m waiting to see other items before purchasing, but the blush palette is seriously tempting me.

I have an extra set of the two items featured in this review to giveaway thanks to Sephora! This is an international giveaway, but you must be 18 years or older to qualify for entries. Simply enter using the Rafflecopter Widget below. One winner will be selected at random to win (x1) Pure Marsala Matte Lip Creme and (x1) Facets of Marsala Multi-Finish Eye Palette. Entries will be collected through 1/8/2015 (refer to terms and conditions in the widget for all the details). All entrants must submit their own entries. Please note if you select to leave a comment via the Rafflecopter option, any with links or urls listed to blogs, websites, giveaways, Facebook pages etc. will be considered spam, will not be published and the entry will be disqualified.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!

The Sephora + Pantone Universe items in this review and
giveaway were provided courtesy of Sephora.

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Fragrance

Elizabeth and James Nirvana Black Solid Perfume

December 27, 2014

The latest addition to the Elizabeth and James Nirvana line is the Solid Perfume Compact ($48 for 3.9 g / 0.14 oz). I’m a huge fan of the Nirvana Black in both the Eau De Parfum Spray and Mini Rollerball version (previous review can be found here). It has a mix of violet, sandalwood, vanilla making it a warm deep scent I like for date nights and going out. The solid perfume comes in a small but very sturdy mirrored compact. It has the signature Elizabeth and James Nirvana packaging in either black or white with the gold edging. The compact itself is quite beautiful. It comes with a soft black protective pouch you can store it in before placing it into a clutch or pouch if you carry it on-the-go.

The scent of the Nirvana Black Solid is identical to the Eau de Parfum versions although it has a slightly softer feel and not quite as strong throw. It’s still noticeable and lasts just as long as the liquids (at least in the few days I’ve tested it). I think it’s perfect for touch ups and the subtle nature of the solid makes it where you don’t have to worry about your fragrance being overwhelming if you apply in public.

For size reference, in the palm of my hand:

The Solid Compact shown below next to the 1 oz Eau de Parfum Spray and the Nirvana White and Black mini 0.24 oz rollerballs (previously Beauty Insider 100 point exclusives, but you can buy them for a limited time as a Rollerball Set for $20 at Sephora)

I like all three versions, but am slightly partial to the mini rollerballs because they are so cute and easy to carry around with me. Perfume is something I usually forget in the mornings so having something I can have with me in my purse to spray on in the car is really handy for me. The Solid Perfume is cased in a beautiful compact which makes applying perfume a really nice experience. If you’re new to the Elizabeth and James Nirvana line I highly recommend looking into the Mini Rollerball Duo as soon as you can – it’s a great way to try both fragrances at a fraction of the price for the full sized bottles.

The Elizabeth and James Solid Perfumes in Nirvana Black and Nirvana White retail for $48 each and are both limited-edition. Right now they exclusive for purchase to VIB/VIB Rouge Members on Sephora.com but will be available for everyone to purchase online starting next week and expected to be available in stores starting January 2015.

The Elizabeth and James Solid Perfume was provided as a press sample for review consideration. All other items purchased by me, roller ball minis redeemed by me with my own Sephora Beauty Insider Points.

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Formula X Paint the Town

December 16, 2014

Formula X has quite a few cute holiday sets out this year. One of the most impressive value nail sets is the Paint the Town Can (on sale in stores for $39) which has 22 mini nail polishes (4 ml/ 0.13 fl oz each). The set has a mix of creams, shimmers and glitter polishes. It just sold out online yesterday after it was marked down from $55 to $39, but I spotted stock at my local Sephora store today. If you’re making your shopping rounds and doing some last minute holiday shopping this is a really fun gift for nail polish addicts. It has enough colors to keep you busy for months and the colors are suitable for teens and grown ups (even the glitters are fun for the holiday season).

The polishes come in a fun plastic paint can:

They’re all stored in a plastic sleeve that rolls up into the can:

All 22 shades ranging from nudes to pinks to reds to purples and glitters:

I swatched these on some nail wheels to get a post up quickly for those still looking to shop for gifts in store. The colors are pretty much true to what you see in the bottle. The Formula X nail polishes have really good pigment and coverage. All the shades are available for purchase individually with the exception of the sparkles and glitters which seem to be exclusive to this set.

A+ is a pink raspberry cream
Gemini is a bubblegum pink
Pyrotechnic is a classic bright red
Ignite is a deeper red cream

Fathom is a creamy medium blue
Wunderkind is a sheer but build able deep metallic blue
Dark Matter is a dark grey
Dramatic is a lavender purple cream
Umph is a shimmery purple-grey
Pedal to the Metal is a metallic violet

White Matter is a pure white cream
Need for Speed is a metallic silver chrome
Illusionary is a cloud-white-grey shimmer
Perfection is a mauve taupe cream
Monumental is a creamy nude
Astronomical is a creamy beige

Shock Wave is a fuchsia pink glitter
Absolute Zero is a mix of silver, beige and black sparkles
Moon Sign is a mix of teal blue, baby blue and silver sparkles
Stratosphere is a blue and purple glitter mix
Luminosity is a gold and copper sparkle glitter
Starlight is a slightly chunky gold glitter

On the thumb is Monumental with Starlight on top

Spotted in store today at Sephora (there were about half a dozen cans scattered around the store, smaller Paint Party Press Pods is also on sale and still available online, also available is the Press Pods Gift Tags Set):

Overall a really fun set to play with. It’s a great introductory set to the Formula X line at a value price. I tested a few of the glitters and found them pretty easy to remove with nail polish remover which is a huge plus for me (most glitters take forever to remove). If you’re heading to a Sephora store in the next few days I highly recommend looking into this as another gift option.

Have you finished your holiday shopping? What has been your favorite set so far this season?

The Paint the Town set was provided as a press sample for review consideration.

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Marc Jacobs Beauty

Marc Jacobs Beauty Midnight in Paris

December 14, 2014

Marc Jacobs Beauty has a new limited-edition Enamored Hi-Shine Nail Lacquer this holiday called Midnight In Paris ($24 for 13 ml/0.43 fl oz). It’s a deep indigo teal cream polish that was first featured in Marc Jacobs’ Spring 2014 runway show. This holiday’s polish comes with a silver reflective cap and the bottle is cased in a black velvet stand with a keepsake box. The presentation and design is beautifully executed making this a lovely gift for those who love nail polishes.

Midnight in Paris is a richly pigmented indigo cream. The pigment is insanely good and I was able to get full even coverage with just one coat. It is very dark in color making this almost like a midnight black, but there is enough blue in it that it still looks blue on the nails. The formula on the Marc Jacobs nail lacquers vary depending on finish. Some are jelly sheers, others are high metallics while some have a more refined shimmer. Midnight in Paris is a pigmented cream (similar formula to the Runway Nudes swatched here).

Here it is swatched with two thin coats. I used the Formula X Base Coat and Chanel Laque Brilliance Extreme on top (my hand and nail care essentials here).

A few comparisons to some other deep inky blue polishes:

Burberry Teal Blue (swatched here)
Burberry Ink Blue (swatched here)
JINsoon Rhapsody (swatched here)
Dolce & Gabbana Peacock
Louboutin Lady Twist (swatched here)

If you already own a lot of deep indigo nail polishes, you might want to shop your stash and skip this one. The formula is really amazing with this one though. One coat is enough to cover the entire nail and in my experience Marc Jacobs nail polish last remarkably well without any chipping or tip wear for up to 5 days.

Midnight in Paris is a limited-edition shade. You can find it at Sephora and Marc Jacobs Beauty while supplies last. Did you check out anything from the Marc Jacobs holiday collection or order any of the Black Friday sets? I’d love to hear what you think is good.

P.S. The Sky-Liner Set (reviewed here) is back in stock online at Sephora!

Midnight in Paris was provided courtesy of Marc Jacobs for review consideration.

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NudeStix #GILTYLOVE Holiday Kit

November 24, 2014

NudeStix has released a few holiday sets this year, today I have the #GILTYLOVE Holiday Kit ($49 for 3 x 1.41g/0.05 oz) to share with you. It has three Magnetic Eye Colors in Gilt, Twilight and Night along with a compact sharpener, all cased in a limited-edition tin. You can also purchase each of the shades in the set individually for $24 each at all NudeStix retailers, but the trio set is currently exclusive to Sephora.

The three shades in the set:

  • Gilt – a warm shimmery golden beige
  • Twilight – a silvery taupe bronze mix
  • Night – a super intense black

I reviewed the couple of the Eye Pencils back in July. The Magnetic Eye Color pencils surpass the Eye Pencils in pigment and lasting power. They are longwearing eye color pencils with a creamy texture that glide on lids easily. There are different colors to shade, highlight or define and once the pencils set, they will not budge. These have a nice creamy texture that blends nicely with the fingers. For the lighter shades Gilt and Twilight, I like to apply straight onto the lid from the pencil and then either smudge or blend with the fingers. The darker shade Night is best when smudged with a soft brush for me (I like MAC #239).

According to NudeStix, the Magnetic Eye Color pencils are ideal for oily lids. The formula is waterproof and after testing these, I can say that they did last all day for me and did not budge at all, not even Night.

Close ups and some swatches:

There are a number of creamy pencil shadow sticks I’ve reviewed from different brands. I’m really impressed with the long-wear quality many brands have been releasing. Formulas are improving and lasting power is getting better. The NudeStix Magnetic Eye Colors are in between Laura Mercier Caviar Sticks and Marc Jacobs Twinkle Pops. I would say the Laura Mercier is more creamy in texture with softer shimmer and slightly softer pigment. Marc Jacobs Twinkle Pops are more glitzy and shimmery but have pigment that is just as intense as the Nudestix.

I have three sets of color comparisons:

NARS Soft Touch Shadow Pencil in Hollywood Land
Laura Mercier Caviar Stick in Golden (discontinued)
_________________

Chanel Stylo Eyeshadow in Moonriver (discontinued)
By Terry Ombre Blackstar in Ombre Mercure #15
Laura Mercier Caviar Stick in Moonlight (review + eye look)
Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Suspect (from Naked2)
_________________

Laura Mercier Caviar Stick in Tuxedo (on the eyes here)
Chanel Stylo Yeux in Black Shimmer
_________________
The colors in the NudeStix #GILTYLOVE Holiday Kit are classics that are easy to combine for a no-fuss look. I’m really impressed with the lasting power and pigment. Some creamy pencils disappear on the lids once you blend them out, but the NudeStix doesn’t disappear on my lids. Given that these are classic neutrals, you may find duplicates or colors with similar effects. You may want to shop your stash, but I give these a thumbs up.
The NudeStix #GILTYLOVE Holiday Kit is limited-edition and exclusive to Sephora this year, if you miss out or don’t like all the colors, you can buy the shades individually at Sephora and Space NK (they are part of the permanent line).
The NudeStix products were provided free of charge for review consideration.
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Marc Jacobs Beauty Twinkle Pop Eye Sticks in Au Revoir and Volver

November 21, 2014

I recently bought two of the Marc Jacobs Beauty Twinkle Pop Eye Sticks ($28 each for 1.6 g/ 0.05 oz, made in Italy) in Au Revoir and Volver (my recent Sephora haul here). I’ve been playing with the Twinkle Pop Eye Sticks for months in store but never pulled the trigger to purchase. These are twist up cream shadow sticks with intense color and shimmer. On the skin they have a slightly cool feel when you first apply them. The packaging mimics a large crayon which I think is really fun. The tips have colors that match the color of the shadow which makes it easy to identify if you store them upright in jars.

Au Revoir is a shimmery medium taupe silver color. The shimmer is quite intense but it blends out nicely on the lids. I did find with this shade I had to blend quickly because they set and dried a bit fast on the lids. If you have oily lids, you will really like how these stay put a long time. My lids aren’t oily, they tend to be on the dry side (but relatively normal). With this one I needed to make sure my eyes were well prepped with a tiny bit of eye cream. The pigment is so rich and the formula is a bit thick straight from the tube, so any dry areas will be emphasized with this one.

Volver is a warm golden champagne peach shimmer. This one is also very shimmery, but not quite as frosty as Au Revoir. I found this color a bit easier to work with and blend on the lids. It didn’t dry quite as fast as Au Revoir did (at least based on the ones I bought) but it still dried pretty fast. Volver has a golden sheen to it but the base is still light-to-medium champagne so it’s not too gold.

I’ve been using these a couple different ways. I like incorporating one of the Twinkle Pops into an eye look with 2 other powder shadows. Since the ones I picked are neutrals they are very easy to mix with other eyeshadow colors. I’ve tried layering them together as well. It gives a nice simple polished look, but for me the two of them combined is a bit too frosty for my personal preference.

Swatches straight from the tube, these are heavy unblended swatches:

Comparisons below, note that the flash enhances the shimmer. These are on the high frost side, but for me they aren’t so frosty that they are over the top (the MAC Pigments are discontinued shades I thought might be similar, but turns out they are very different):

I’m in love with Volver. It’s a really nice warm peachy champagne color and the gold shimmer gives it dimension without being too frosty. I can never resist taupe shadows so I give Au Revoir a thumbs up, although it is on the more shimmery side and takes some blending for my dry lids. If you have normal to oily, it will probably blend easier on your skin compared to the way it does on mine. 

These are both shimmery, but still wearable for my conservative makeup-loving self. If you like neutral shimmers but want something more subtle, I’d recommend opting for the Laura Mercier Caviar Sticks (especially the mini set reviewed here).

There are currently nine different shade options of the Marc Jacobs Beauty Twinkle Pop Eye Sticks. They retail for $28 each. Available at Sephora and Marc Jacobs Beauty.

Have you tried these? What did you think?

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