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JINsoon Nail Lacquer – Coquette

October 27, 2012

Jin Soon Choi has launched her own line of nail polishes with a launch collection of 12 shades ($18 each for 10 ml/0.33 fl oz). I ordered several colors from Sephora.com and so far am impressed with the formula, pigment and color selection (there’s more product info including the ingredient list online). The first colors launched appear to all be creams or sheers (no shimmers). As soon as my order arrived I swatched five different shades on one hand (loved each shade). It was hard to pick which one to try for a full manicure first but decided on JINsoon Coquette, a sheer jelly classic red. This one has a sheer formula in which the first coat appears to be a fuschia pink red. Two coats achieves a jelly finish in a vibrant red color. There is a slightly blueish sheen that makes it a cool-red. I compared it to Chanel Pirate and found that the Chanel is more pink/blue-based, while the JINsoon is slightly warmer. To me they have similar finishes – jelly-like formula but both apply smoothly with a rich vibrant red finish.
The nail polishes come in a square-shaped bottle with a pull-off black cap. The brushes have a good length for easy application. The bristles have a good shape with a slightly wide/flat tip making application very easy.
More photos and swatches below:

So far I’m impressed with the lasting power. I’m on day three of Coquette and it’s showed no signs of tip wear, chipping or fading yet. In terms of uniqueness this color is pretty standard in terms of the classic red, but I think it’s still striking for a killer-red shade. I’m looking forward to trying the other shades very soon. For now, head on over to Messy Wands to see Auspicious and Rhapsody. They look amazing on her.
Have you tried these yet? What were your thoughts?
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Dior Incognito, Plaza, Riviera & Lucky

March 5, 2012

Dior has been releasing some killer knock-out shades for nails recently. The latest release includes four nail polishes to coincide with the release of their new Addict Extreme lipstick formula. So far it appears the four polishes were released first to Macy’s in Incognito, Plaza, Riviera and Lucky ($23 each). I ordered mine from Sephora.com and I believe the other shades are trickling in slowly to other locations. At first glance these appear to be your basic and standard shades that are easy to replicate with less expensive brands like OPI and Essie. While true, I find the Dior formula continues to impress me with the rich color and shine and long lasting formula. Here is a quick sneak peek. A more detailed review to follow for each shade. So far I am impressed. Compared to other recent releases, Dior packs in more punch while Laura Mercier’s recent release is softer and more subdued. OPI’s Holland release was more diverse in color selection with the brights being super sharp and bright.

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Dior New Look Collection 5-Colour Eyeshadows: Grège 734 and Royal Kaki 454

January 29, 2012

Dior’s latest release is a New Look Collection which includes a new formula of DiorShow Mascara and four new quints. If you don’t follow Rouge Deluxe already, I highly recommend you do. I found out about this upcoming release on her blog. My love for shimmery neutrals is still going strong and I ordered the neutral options in Grège 734 and Royal Kaki 454 from Sephora.com last week (gotta love their samples and super fast shipping). Here is a quick peek at both palettes side by side. A detailed post with better swatches on each quint to follow.

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Latest: Edward Bess Now Available on Sephora.com

January 18, 2012
I have great news for everyone! Edward Bess is now available on Sephora.com! The latest from the Edward Bess team …

“Following huge success in Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus, Edward Bess is expanding into Sephora, launching on Sephora.com this January 2012 and will debut in store in early May 2012. As the Edward Bess brand extends its reach, Edward is excited to continue to share his vision with the brand’s legion of devoted followers and introduce the edited range to Sephora customers. “It has been a dream of mine to share my beauty philosophy with women everywhere and I am especially excited to partner with Sephora.”

Edward Bess quickly became the name on every woman’s lips since his debut collection of revolutionary lip colors took the world of beauty by storm. Coveted by Hollywood starlets and everyday women alike, Edward Bess is synonymous with refined style, exquisite luxury, and innovation. Edward perfects the art of understated sophistication time and time again, harnessing his extraordinary creative force with exceptional attention to detail in the creation of his edited neutral makeup colors and cutting-edge skincare. His paired-down, “less is more” approach allows each woman’s natural beauty to shine through while putting her Bess face forward.”

Happy shopping! Be sure to check out Edward Bess on Facebook for the latest updates =)
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Dior Mitzah Camel and Ebony Comparisons

September 19, 2011
Dior Camel and Ebony are compared below to Dior City of Gold, Dior Sienna, Chanel Khaki Rose, Chanel Particuliere, Dior Underground, Dolce & Gabbana Chocolate and MAC Dim the Lights.
To see how Camel compares to neutral nudes, like Dior Nude Chic and Dolce & Gabbana Nude, scroll down two posts (linked here).
I found Dior Camel truly unique. There wasn’t a shade I owned similar to it at all. Granted I don’t typically gravitate towards yellow-based shades unless it’s a gold shimmer. Dior Ebony wasn’t exactly unique as I found it very similar to Underground. The two are practically identical except when you scroll down to the bottom photo, you might be able to see that Underground has a slightly purplish base while Ebony is more neutral black/brown. In real life you can only see the difference if you look very closely. In the photos I doubt you will be able to tell the two apart unless you tilt your head, squint and try to look for the difference.

I hope these comparisons help. I’m not sure I would classify these new Dior shades as must-haves as they are fairly neutral and not exactly knock out colors. Still they provide a polished subtle elegant look to the fingers which I really like. Quint/quad comparisons to come soon. I didn’t get good swatch comparisons from this weekend so I will have to redo them.
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Dior Mitzah Picks: Camel & Ebony Dior Vernis and Mitzah Quint

September 19, 2011

I’ve been eagerly waiting for the release of the Mitzah Collection to Sephora in the US. The collection was designed to commemorate Mitzah Bricard, Christian Dior’s legendary muse who was known for her love of leopard. The Mitzah Collection features pieces for eyes, face and nails in shades of camel, chocolate brown and beige in a jungle-print theme. While traveling in Paris last March, Café Makeup was lucky to find the collection early and shared beautiful photos of the palette and nail polishes. The collection has finally arrived in the US exclusively at Sephora and Sephora.com.
My picks included the new eyeshadow quint Mitzah #753, Camel Nail Polish #622, Ebony Nail Polish #912 and the new Golden Brown DiorShow Mascara #598 (not featured). All are currently exclusive to Sephora and are limited edition.

The Mitzah 5 Couleurs Eyeshadow Palette ($60 for 6 g / 0.21 oz) palette is a collection of neutrals with a slight kick. The four outer shades have an embossed animal print in the powder and have a very subtle finely milled shimmer. The shimmer is so slight the colors glow with a slight sheen. The colors in the palette include a dark aubergine-brown, a medium caramel brown, a soft camel with a light orangey tinge, a warm beige and a soft greyed-brown.

After seeing this swatched and reviewed on Beauty Moogle Zone, Café Makeup, Iron Spy I was worried it would be too warm for my olive skin. Still I could not resist the lovely descriptions of the satiny finish and when I tested the palette at Sephora I fell in love. The colors are very soft and refined. I find them a bit different from the traditional Dior palettes which typically have at least 1 high frost shade. This palette has a very subtle sheen in all shades and a very natural finish. If you’re looking for high impact or high shimmer, you might be disappointed with this one but I love it.

It’s usually difficult for me to use all 5 shades in Dior quints, however the Mitzah Quint has a wonderful layering quality and today I put all 5 shades on my eyes. I apologize I do not have photos to share, but for my application method, I started with MAC’s Cream Color Base in Seaside, applied the pale cream all over the lid, then followed with the bronzey top right about 1/2 way up the lid brushing the color back and forth into a soft gradient from the lashline upwards. I then took the bottom right greyish brown and smudged it right along the upper lashlines heavily. Next I took the upper left aubergine and applied it from outer corners about 1/4 way into the eye. Last step was to take the middle orange shade and lightly dip a soft fluffy brush and blend the two dark shades just to soften the edges.

Camel and Ebony Nail Polishes ($22 each for 10 ml / 0.33 fl oz) are both opaque creams. I love this photo from Dior’s International Website. They apply beautifully with 2 coats and have a gorgeous glossy sheen on the nails.

Camel is a yellowed beige and Ebony is a deep cool brown. Both are pure love. I thought Camel might be too yellow but oddly once applied on the skin it just works. Might not be everyone’s cup of tea. This is one you have to see and test in person to really tell. I don’t think it photographs well on the fingers but in person I find it more flattering.

Ebony is a dark beautiful brown cream. It’s very similar to Underground which was released earlier this year. If you have Underground (slightly more purple undertone), you can safely skip Ebony (comparisons to come soon). These shades apply beautifully with 2 coats. The tapered brush makes application easier for those of use who have unsteady hands.

I highly recommend you check out additional swatches and reviews at Joey’space, Fashion Polish, and Café Makeup if you haven’t already. They have lovely comparisons and swatches.

Overall love. Bravo Dior! They did an excellent job creating a beautiful collections of neutrals with a kick. If you’re at all interested I recommend purchasing soon since all pieces are limited edition and exclusive to Sephora in the US. If you’re unsure about the quint because your coloring doesn’t do so well with warm shades, just use the middle shade with a very light hand. The other colors are very easy to wear and even on my warm skin worked just fine. At this time I won’t be reviewing the mascara I purchased. I have several tubes of other brands I have to use up. By the time I get around to opening up this one to test I’m afraid it will be sold out. At Sephora, the mascara tester looked like a dark brassy brown shimmer which I found intriguing.

I’ll be posting comparisons very soon in a separate post. Did you check out the Mitzah Collection at Sephora or elsewhere? What were your thoughts?

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Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer SPF15

August 18, 2011

Over the years I’ve discovered a number of excellent foundation primers such as MAC Prep & Prime, Chanel Base Lumiere, Le Blanc de Chanel, Smashbox Photofinish, NARS (the original version) and Guerlain Meteorites Light-Diffusing Perfecting Primer. I’m always on the hunt for tips and tricks that will help me achieve that flawless foundation finish. Primers are often key to achieving a natural even look. Considering the fact that I have sensitive skin, I’ve had quite a bit success in finding good primers from numerous brands, however, few have managed to keep my makeup looking fresh all day from morning until late afternoon. I was recently sent a sample package from Hourglass and over the past week have been putting the Veil Mineral Primer to the test. The primer comes in 2 sizes at Sephora: 0.33 oz for $17 and a larger size of 1.00 oz for $52 (both with pump dispensers). I received the smaller size to sample. The product comes in a liquid formula with a white tint. The satiny finish is supposed to smooth out the appearance of your skin, absorb oil and minimize pores. From the swatch below you can see that the product lightened my skin slightly.

The Veil Mineral Primer is described as oil free, paraben free, fragrance free, nanoparticle free, gluten free, synthetic dye free, sulfate free, phthalate free, vegan and water resistant. The ingredient listing is shown below:

I’ve tested this for a few days and am very pleased with the results. The liquid fluid texture makes it easy to apply as it glides on flawlessly. I found one pump sufficient to cover the entire face which provides your skin with a smooth satiny canvas. I was surprised how the Veil Mineral Primer helped the application of the foundation to achieve a truly flawless finish. I love that the box had a few tips on how to apply this product – I found these extremely helpful.

I tried this primer several different ways:

Method 1: Apply like a regular primer all over the face (over Cle de Peau moisturizer & under Guerlain Lingerie de Peau foundation) – my foundation and powder lasted all day and looked just as fresh as when I first applied it, however this made my face look pale and pasty from the white cast of the primer

Method 2: Apply all over bare face (skip moisturizer and apply Guerlain Lingerie de Peau) – same result as above, but I believe you need a moisturizer, the finish really is so satiny that without moisturizer, I personally thought this felt too dry on my skin

Method 3: Mix 1/2 and 1/2 primer and foundation (tested with Guerlain & Chanel) – the result was less white, but my foundation was lightened by a tiny bit

Method 4: Mix 1 part primer to 2 parts foundation (tested with Guerlain & Chanel) – this was the best result for me and mixing a larger proportion of foundation to about a 1/2 pump of the primer and blending with a foundation brush gave a smooth velvety looking finish and helped my foundation/powder last all day

Overall I am thoroughly impressed by the performance of this primer. After several days of using this, no breakouts, no clogged pores, no irritation, no dryness or thick feeling finish. I can’t believe how well my foundation, powder and blush have been holding up in the summer humidity. I still need a touch up on the nose in the afternoon, but the Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer has helped make my makeup last longer than most primers. Have you tried this primer before? Thoughts? Application tips?
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